There's only one position where England look stronger than Boks – Andy Goode

There may be just one position where England look stronger than South Africa on paper but if they can play with the freedom of underdogs, you just never know.

That isn’t something you associate with Steve Borthwick’s side but let’s hope he has learned from the mistakes of the Six Nations, and the manner of the final game against France, because just kicking and chasing certainly won’t work against the Springboks

Tests don’t come any tougher than a visit to Ellis Park and this is a Boks outfit that has expanded their game, with Tony Brown a growing influence, so England have to commit to a clear style and play with intent.

I don’t think a single member of England’s forward pack would get in the Springboks line-up and, despite Tommy Freeman’s excellent recent form, I’m not sure you can make a case for any of the outside backs but you’d take Fin Smith over Manie Libbok.

It’s hard to believe this is just the Northampton man’s eighth Test start but he has won the PREM title in two of the last three seasons and been on a British & Irish Lions tour so he has to be given the keys to drive his country forwards now.

Freeman would get into almost every other team in the world but that would be on the wing and I’d have picked him in his more familiar position with Henry Slade, who has been in the form of his life for Exeter, at outside centre.

Nevertheless, it’s great to see Cadan Murley trusted to continue in the side, despite Quins enduring a torrid campaign, but he’s going to have his work cut out against Cheslin Kolbe.

You have to assume that Freeman has got the nod at centre at least partly because of his size as he and Seb Atkinson won’t be dwarfed by the sizeable centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.

The Saints flyer’s game is far more about footwork than physicality though and I can’t help but feel that Slade’s experience and left-footed kicking option at altitude would have been a better way to go.

It’s a huge game for Jack van Poortvliet, who starts a Test for just the second time in two years, but I think he’s in because Alex Mitchell picked up an injury and finished the season on the Northampton bench.

The rest of the team pretty much picks itself and, whilst it’s no surprise at all to see Ollie Chessum at blindside as both another lineout option and extra physicality, it’s the back row where I think the Boks have the biggest advantage.

Tom Curry is a top player but he’s missed a lot of rugby and hasn’t played more than 50 minutes in a game since January 2 and Ben Earl’s footwork before contact is excellent but he’s going to have to do a lot of close-quarter carrying.

I’m sure he’ll make an impact from the bench but I would have started with Henry Pollock to give Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese something a bit different to think about.

That trio is about as good as we’ve ever seen in terms of a loose forward combination and if they are as dominant as we’ve seen them against better teams than England in the past, then it could be a long afternoon.

The Boks looked pretty slick in their hit out against the Barbarians a couple of weeks ago so it’s probably wishful thinking to be hoping to catch them cold in their first proper outing for eight months but it is better to play them now than when they’ve got a head of steam up.

They might be missing Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager in the engine room but otherwise it’s really only the mercurial Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who is missing and would walk into this Springbok side and improve it significantly.

Libbok was the name on everyone’s lips a few years ago and he might have another inspired day that reminds everyone exactly what he can do but he is just as likely to put in a performance where a few errors creep in and England have to put him under pressure.

It’ll probably be cagey to begin with but Borthwick has to trust Fin Smith to play what’s in front of him and use the attack-minded players around him to break the line and get South Africa on the back foot.

George Furbank hasn’t played for his country for two years because of injury but his first instinct is to run, which should make a big difference, and Manny Feyi-Waboso has the x-factor to light up any stadium in the world.

England again averaged more kicks in play per game than anyone else in the Six Nations but Damian Willemse will lap up anything that isn’t absolutely on the money and Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse might be diminutive but they’re excellent under the high ball.

So, we need to see some shape and creativity from the men in white in attack, with Lee Blackett given more licence to put his imprint on things, but all of that will be a moot point if England’s discipline is as atrocious as it was in February and March.

Eight yellow cards and a red across five matches was not a good look at all and makes it very hard to win games. If they see men sent to the bin, have a double-figure penalty count and struggle at the breakdown against the Boks, then it’ll be good night.

The South African bomb squad might not have quite the same intimidating feel as it did a couple of years ago but it’s still strong and they’ll probably be licking their lips at Beno Obano and Asher Opoku-Fordjour coming on with their lack of Test experience.

These are the games you need to play in if you’re going to make it to the top level and there’s only one way to get experience. It’s just that the Boks have no fewer than 935 caps among their starting XV and you have to think that will show.

I can’t imagine many England fans are expecting a victory but they will be expecting to see desire, attacking intent and something to hang your hat on in terms of a game plan.

Rassie Erasmus described Borthwick this week as “someone who works with numbers and chases trends” and he needs to start showing the world that he’s more than that if he is to remain in the job and take England forwards.

Given that they have only ever beaten the Boks four times on South African soil, and you have to go back 54 years for the only one of those victories that was at Ellis Park, a battling display and close defeat probably constitutes success for England at this point.

Everything’s against them and if they can channel that underdog spirit, then they might just make it interesting but you won’t find many people backing against this Springbok side and I think it’ll be a 15-point victory for Rassie’s men.