England take on the Springboks next weekend, in the opening round of the 2026 Nations Championship.
The Southern Series kicks off in Johannesburg, with the South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus making quite the comparison between Springboks fly half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and England back row Henry Pollock.
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When quizzed about Pollock’s inclusion in the England squad, Erasmus pulled plenty of similarities between the PREM Rugby winner and the URC Player of the Season for 2026.
“He’s like Sacha. People make a big deal about certain players, but I don’t always think the players themselves want that attention. What counts is what they do on the field, and recently, he’s been doing that. If I were coaching him, I’d only look at his output, and that has been exceptional.”
Erasmus expressed utmost respect for England as the Boks kicked off their preparations for the inaugural Nations Championship. The Springboks coach spoke highly of Steve Borthwick’s squad and the threat they pose in the opening game. While Erasmus named his 46-man squad on Saturday night, England coach Borthwick announced his squad yesterday, for the clash at Ellis Park on Saturday, 4 July.
“The England squad is good – their average age is about 27, and Test caps around 32, so it’s a young yet experienced squad,” said Erasmus.
“There are a few older players in their 30s, which brings the experience, but the young guys will add fearlessness into a team that was in the World Cup semi-final (in 2023), and who have competed really well off the back of the Premiership.
“It’s a very competitive squad, and we know we’ll have to work really hard against them at Ellis Park next week if we want to get a win.”
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was delighted to be entrusted with the captain’s armband once again, but he said the squad contained several leaders, and that the entire group feeds off one another in general.
“It’s a really good feeling (to be named the captain),” said Kolisi, whose first game as Bok captain was in 2018 against England, also at Ellis Park.
“Everything starts from the top, and I think the biggest thing is to make sure the team remains the most important aspect. For us who have been here for a while, it’s about passing on as much information as we can to make sure everyone is up to speed, because we never know who’s going to play or who’s going to be needed.”
Erasmus shot down suggestions that England’s performance in the Six Nations could influence their morale going into the Nations Championship.
“We tend to look more at the individual players than at the team structure to gauge what they’ll do,” he said
“There will be strong Northampton and Leicester representation in their squad, and they always evolve their structures. So, we think we have a reasonable idea about what they’ll do, but on the day, they could do something completely different.”
The Bok coach added: “Tactically, Steve (Borthwick, England head coach) is someone who works with numbers and chases trends, and that’s always difficult to prepare against. If I say we know exactly what they’ll do next Saturday, I’d be lying.”
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Brian Moore picks his England XV – with Henry Pollock in and 105-cap star out
Moore believes England are now entering the “final runway” before the 2027 Rugby World Cup, warning that Borthwick’s opportunity to experiment is quickly disappearing.
“His time for experimentation is closing, and he must balance taking risks against chasing wins and the confidence that gives a squad.”
Back three
15. George Furbank
14. Tommy Freeman
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Moore has gone for an exciting and attack-minded back three, favouring George Furbank’s creativity over Freddie Steward’s aerial prowess, while keeping faith with Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to provide England’s cutting edge out wide.
On Furbank, he wrote:
“Although Freddie Steward’s solidity under the high ball would be welcome at Ellis Park, Furbank gives more options to unlock the Springboks out wide.”
Freeman also keeps his place, although Moore believes England must soon settle on his long-term position.
“At some point Borthwick is going to have to decide whether Freeman’s ability to make good things happen whenever he is on the ball should be limited to the edge or the centre of England’s back line.”
Meanwhile, Moore wants Feyi-Waboso to become one of England’s biggest attacking weapons.
“He should be encouraged to do more work as ‘wild-card carrier’ around the fringes of the breakdown.”
“His power and pace can unsettle defenders used to covering less dynamic ball-carriers.”
Centres
12. Tom Litchfield
13. Max Ojomoh
England’s midfield remains one of Moore’s biggest concerns. He believes Borthwick must finally settle on a centre partnership, backing Tom Litchfield and Max Ojomoh to be given an extended opportunity after impressive Premiership campaigns.
Moore wrote:
“The main one is the continuing merry-go-round that is the England centre partnership.”
He added:
“To… be only one year out from a World Cup and not have even one nailed-on selection is bewildering.”
On Ojomoh, he said:
“His promise deserves an extended series run.”
Explaining Litchfield’s inclusion, Moore added:
“Litchfield is coming off the back of an excellent club season; why not give him a run when you have Northampton team-mates Furbank, Freeman and Smith there.”
Half-backs
9. Alex Mitchell
10. Fin Smith
Moore has stuck with Northampton’s half-back pairing, believing continuity is crucial as England build towards the World Cup. He also feels Fin Smith should now be given every opportunity to establish himself as England’s long-term fly-half.
On Smith, Moore wrote:
“Unless Borthwick intends George Ford to lead England’s backs in Australia, it is preferable for Fin, and Marcus, Smith to get game time.”
Mitchell also gets the nod at scrum-half.
“Mitchell… has the edge over his clubmate Archie McParland when it comes to international experience.”
Moore added:
“Ben Spencer’s know-how is probably preferable for this specific fixture as cover.”
