Springbok captain Siya Kolisi on Friday said he is expecting to face a charged-up England outfit when the sides meet in their opening Nations Championship encounter at Ellis Park on Saturday, and suggested it would be a proper grind of a game.
With home ground advantage and their placing in the world rankings favouring the Boks, Kolisi shot down suggestions that the Springboks were the outright favourites to win.
“We listen to our coaches, and we know what it feels like to be beaten,” said Kolisi.
“We never walk into any match feeling like we're definitely going to win. If we did, we wouldn't have prepared the way we prepared this week. We've seen what England have done in Tests before, and we know the form they're in, so we are in a strong mindset as a team.
“Playing against them is always a big deal. They always pitch up, and we’re excited because we know how big it's going to be for them and for us as well.”
Of the prospect of facing Tom Curry in their loose trio, Kolisi said: “He's one of the toughest guys I've ever played against. I remember since 2018, and then in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final too. He's a special human being, and I love playing against him. Tomorrow's going to be no different.”
When quizzed about the pressure on the Springboks going into the match, Kolisi said: “There's always pressure. You'd be silly to feel comfortable. But I think that's what keeps us going.”
England may have come off a disappointing Six Nations campaign, but Kolisi said that would not cloud their judgement about them as a top-quality team.
“We’ve analysed them, and results-wise, I don't think we can take too much from their Six Nations campaign because if you look at their last game against France, they almost won it in the final seconds, and France is one of the best teams in the world,” said Kolisi.
“They are going to be psyched up for this match and will pitch up physically. They almost took us out of the (2023) World Cup in the semi-final, and something we learned from that game is that if you don't execute your plan very well against England, they have the potential to punish you.
“They are physically aggressive, even under the high balls. So, whatever they've done in the past won’t matter. What will make the difference is if we pitch up. We know they're in a good mental space, and several players are in form for their clubs, so they’ll bring good energy. If we don't pitch up and execute in the set pieces and in our kicking game, we're going to be in trouble.”