Should Steve Borthwick stick to the Farrell-Smith playmaker axis? Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
England enter the Rugby World Cup semi-finals as the tournament's only unbeaten team and as the standard-bearer for northern hemisphere rugby after the departure of better-known rivals Ireland, France and Scotland.
Unfortunately, to reach the final they will face one of the greatest Springbok sides, who are clear favorites to win a rematch of the 2019 decider, but Steve Borthwick's men are used to being written off.
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The big question facing Borthwick is: how do you stop a team that has very few, if any, weaknesses? As always, choice is critical, so we asked our team of experts to pick who they'd like to see fight the sides?
A semi-final against the tournament's most physical team will present special challenges that England have not yet faced on their side of the draw. Freddie Steward should return to full-back to counter the aerial threat and add ballast to the defence, while Joe Marler should come into the picture with his scrum-half prowess. I would also restructure the midfield to include Ollie Lawrence and move Joe Marchant to the wing. Oh, and finally, a 6-2 bench split corresponding to the Bomber Squad.
The selection of Henry Arundell over Jonny May is more of a hope than an expectation given he wasn't even included in the 23rd round for Fiji. But South Africa's triumph over France was a reminder of the timeless virtue of pure, electrifying pace, and Cheslin Kolbe's lightning-quick sprint ahead of Damian Penaud is likely to live long in the memory. While May appears to have lost half a yard at 33, Arundell — 13 years his junior and, like Kolbe, already the second fastest 100m runner in the under-11s — is improving with every appearance on the international stage. Strikers represent the most difficult debate to resolve. How do England even cope with the monstrous Springboks team that crushed them so brutally in the last World Cup final? I'd be tempted to swap Tom Curry, who looks like he's due a yellow card, for Lewis Ludlam. But then I'm reminded of Eddie Jones' verdict that Curry was one of the few truly world-class players he coached in England. And for this of all games, Steve Borthwick needs all the world-class threats he can muster.
Risking being benched six forwards above a defender in the semi-final against Dan Cole in Paris. England didn't even use George Ford off the bench against Fiji, so why not sacrifice him for an extra striker when Lewis Ludlam returns to action. Freddie Steward dominates Jonny May on the wing as Steward lacks the speed to turn and catch Cheslin Kolbe. , he is better in the air and the Springboks have targeted May in the same way they targeted Frenchman Louis Bierre-Biare on Sunday. The scrum half is a difficult task, but the energy that Danny Care brings from the bench can make a difference. After the 2019 final, it might seem crazy to deny Joe Marler a starting spot, but substitute Ox Nche had more success in the France scrum than Steven Kitshoff did as a starter. So save the firepower for later.
Have your say…
Our experts have chosen who they'd like to see take on the Springboks, now it's your turn. Use our team builder to select your England XV and join the conversation in the comments section below:
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