It's a very electric atmosphere, but overall it's really respectful, had NZ fans waving their flag around and no one really cared. Ignore the stereotypes around stereotypes it's an incredible experience
If it comes down to mentality we're screwed. Watched the Boks in open practice in Edinburgh and they are loving life, all smiles and fantastic team spirit.
Probably comes from a team that knows what they are doing vs a team that is very unsure. Boks are flying high atm. Hoping for a bit performance because I do love this particular match up.
England is a good team. As a South African, I am nervous for this game as they are better than the criticism they received. I thought the same thing about the All Blacks recently.
😂😂😂 So an imaginary circle around Earth that is an imaginary line equidistant from the geographic poles and lies in a plane perpendicular to Earth’s axis is also a geographical phenomenon in winning rugby games . 😂😂 😊
The over-reaction is there because most of our fans - including the media - believe we have some sort of divine right when it comes to results. If we get beaten ‘it’s because we played badly or were coached badly’. The thing that we’re ignoring - which is practically punching us in the face - is that our players are extremely average, and it’s no one’s fault.
Everybody keeps saying that that everybody's team can beat anybody on the day. When did that last happen with England? Ireland and the six Nations and before then?
There is nothing between the teams . Which is very good for the game. I expect the game tomorrow to be close until the benches empty out . Englands is very weak.
Winning close games, is a mindset. To quote Jaques Nienaber. “Its about having a superior discontent”. a refusal to lose the game no matter what. Which builds on team culture, team belief and accurate preparation.
I agree with the point about mentality. As a kiwi watching the nz eng game, i couldnt believe the poor decision making from England. Tried a drop goal before halftime, without a penalty advantage to fall back on. They had us under pressure and totally let us off the hook there. Then Ford did the same thing at the 80th minute. Even further back, In the drawn game between nz and Eng, we played with ball in hand after the whistle went looking for a win, eng turned it over and kicked it straight into touch. Happy to take a draw in rugby is the wrong mindset at international level
Smug kiwi bull-shit. You won because a) the 80th minute drop goal went wide, and b) because we have a coach who is more motivated by his Pension scheme than by results. Keep your utterly classless crowing to yourself, pal. You have a thoroughly average team, and England have a thoroughly clueless set of coaches. That is no justification for false pride.
Greetings from South Africa ! I think Borthwick should strive to build a larger 35 man squad, giving all some measure of playing time. Makes for healthy competition inside the squad, and a stronger bench. Also mentality : Penalty time, back themselves more, go for the corner, don't settle for safe 3 pointers. More fire and mongrel !
Great show Tim - your logical approach is so notable. Keep up the fantastic show, it makes the games so much more interesting and one looks forward to the pre match and post match chats. Good Onya and let’s look forward to another great weekend of rugby!👍🏉
As a Springbok supporter. I think England is a great team. They tough and always give the Springboks a challenge. Two comments - hope the ref handles the breakdowns (see a great deal of slow rolling away after the tackle from the wrong side). My second opinion amd my perception is England focus on the opposition when they win a scrum or penalty etc I.e in their face celebrating!! Perhaps turn the focus inwards towards your own team, winning a scrum etc is worthy to be excited but that hasn't won the war! Looking forward to a great game this weekend.
Hi Tim. Greetings from South Africa. Your comments on mentality are interesting. The question I think is: "are they playing to win or playing not to lose (and the losing)? South Africa's DNA (mentality) is: no matter what we have no option but to win.
England will be a force to be reconned with this coming weekend. Springboks struggled with handling errors and lineouts. In the world cup England put it to SA with their tactical game plan, which seemed to be the Springbok Achilles heel. I don't think England's ability to win this coming game is within their hands. But rather, will the springboks play poorly, like they did against Scotland, or will they be on form? If they play poorly, England has a chance to defeat them. They will need a half time score advantage because the boks will come out swinging second half.
Nonsense. If the Boks play poorly they still win, that’s been the most impressive thing about them this year and literally happened against Scotland and they won by 17. Englands scrum was demolished by the All Blacks, and it will be against the Boks. England only did well last year in the WC because they played an incredibly ugly game style in the rain. The Boks picked Libbok at 10, and tried to run it against England in the first half, which given the conditions didn’t work. Tactically there is absolutely no system that England can better the Boks on paper. The Boks live for the ugly game if they want to play it, and with their current crop of talent they can comfortably beat England playing attacking, free flowing rugby as well. The only way England stand a chance against them, is by getting really lucky, the ref needs to be heavily in their favour, and they need to avoid the any scrums on the Boks own ball. England need to concede no penalties, and no knock ons, and it will be close.
@jameswyatt4443 spot on. I don't think we have gotten out of second gear this whole year. Maybe against Argentina in Mbombela was the closest to our best
@@jameswyatt4443 Look not disagreeing with you, My money is on the boks, Engalnd will need something very special to beat the boks. But I wouldn't put it past them.
@@jameswyatt4443Whilst I totally agree with what you said at the start of your post I think England can win but it would require the Boks to play badly and England not to play in the same way but to try and stifle South Africa. England will, I'm sure, get some home team advantage from the ref to a certain extent anyway (all teams do) but if England were able to stop the Boks getting the ball out wide to the backs and/or make the tackles they should be making then England could win. Do I think this will happen, in a word no. I expect either the Boks to run away with it or it be a relatively close game and then the Boks pull away at the end. Either way I just don't see England winning, South Africa are just too good with too much strength in depth.
Still going strong. Amazing how one's emotion is affected by your team. I feel your pain with england. prepare for more mate. And thanks for all the vids over the years. You are really good at what you do and you know a wee bit about rugby :)
In all fairness, not taking anything away from Eng, they took on a Boks team in the RWC who were seriously tired. We saw that. Boks had tough physicall games even through the group matches with huge physicall players against them too. Week after week it was tough games. Then in the qf France took alot more energy. Boks rested one day less and had to go play in wet,rainy conditions being fatiged already. The style of play in the conditions plus they were still fit played a huge role in the SF. With that being said Eng didnt play badly but used the conditions better and considering they werent fatiged they brought it against a tired Boks outfit. And the same story counted going into the final for the Boks also.... Wet, rainy conditions and they were clearly still recovering. But Eng in my view arent playing bad rugby. They can only get better still. We will see what happens Saturday.
The problem isn’t just selection of the team, it is the selection of the squad. We are stuck in 2019 mentally with the make-up of the squad. Curry hasn’t been and never will be the 2019 Curry, similarly Underhill is injury prone and has his moments but you’re not going to get a run of games from him. The need to have Ford in the squad is bizarre too given he’d played so little rugby. Exactly the same for Slade. With 3 years until the World Cup there is far more value to blood the youth than the injury prone 2019 gang? It’s a kick in the teeth to players like Pepper, Pearson and Mercer that they are consistently over looked for players that don’t play enough! Using experience as the reason is also balls! How do you get experience by not being picked etc.
100% this ^ Even if they were fit they're both play too limited a game. Underhill in particular hasn't outplayed his opposite number in 18 months. Guys like T Hill and Pearson should be in the squad along with T Willis. They give you huge workrate, play both sides of the ball and aren't one -trick ponies. Start with Itoje, Martin, Chessum, Earl and T Willis and then have CCS or T Hill along with Pearson on the bench and you have a better starting pack and a better bench with proper impact.
I think you should appoint Rassie Errasmus as England’s coach! ❤ Problem solved for sure! Don’t worry, us South Africans are also nervous for Saturday’s game. We never take anything for granted.
Good point about Australia. In the first ten minutes or so it looked like the Aussie team we've been getting used to, and a landslide win incoming for England. But then the Aussies dug their heels in and played like we know they can and should be, and it was great to see them back to some good form. So yes, England have plenty of issues but credit to our Aussie mates for putting on the best performance they have had in years. 👍
Wholeheartedly agree. That sort of performance by the Wallabies has been missing in action for a very long time. Great to see it back because, at their best, they’re an incredible team to watch - and the extra competition can only be a good thing got the health of the game as a whole.
Spot on Tim! The modern professional rugby player needs a huge mental strength to face the highs and lows in a game. Looking forward to this weekend, going to be some massive rugby.
Agree Tim that mentality is critical for any team and certainly this particular England team. The issue becomes that you get used to losing by less than an score. Also very much agree that the loss of Felix Jones and Aled Walters has a bigger impact on this autumn series than could have been imagined. The England current coaching team look out of their depth at this stage. We have to hope that they learn quickly
Interesting analysis as always. I think you summed it up very accurately when you said, and I’m paraphrasing, “if you look at England’s results it’s unacceptable, only beating the likes of Wales and Japan”. Surely that means that the coaching team have to go. We’ve got 3 years until the World Cup and, by the looks of it, a great crop of u25 players. Time to trust them with a more modern and innovative coaching team who understand international rugby levels.
To have a winning mentality you have to start winning and consistently win and this is the problem, it's a chicken and egg scenario, you don't get one without the other, but to get it you need to win tight games, and to do that you need good, well coached, disciplined players who know their roles and how to carry them out. To get that I think it all goes back to the coaching staff and the tactics, essentially the head coach, Steve Borthwick, who to all eyes is learning on the job, which shouldn't be the case at this level.
Tim.....my penny's worth. With regard to the "mentality" the England side require. To me its a mind shift that the Boks have often had to adopt......you remarked on it before......the Wild Dog approach. Working together as a team, especially when the chips are down is what England need to cultivate a legacy of giving it all in the final 10 minutes of the match. Just my opinion. Thank you for Eggchasers. Lambert
Borthwick really hasn't been conservative with selection since the RWC though. He's switched to Furbank at 15. IFW, Freeman and Sleightholme are the wings. CCS was backed at flanker. Baxter is coming through at LH. Earl and Lawrence have been backed and established themselves. Marcus is starting ahead of Ford. Aren't Spencer and Randall the 'form' scrum-halves that everyone wanted to be picked from the Prem? Neither have been that good though. (Which arguably points to a bigger issue with picking on Premiership form when the league isn't very strong...) It feels like there are some England fans who will never be happy unless half the 23 are the new shiny thing from the Prem that we haven't seen at international level yet. Is there any successful coach in international rugby who actually selects like that though?
Well done, Tim, on attempting to find solutions for this coming weekend’s match vs the Springboks. I understand your logic and agree with pretty much all of your selections. However, I do feel England and Steve Borthwick need to decide what their actual DNA is going forward and stick with it. I believe if SB is to save his job and coaching team in the process, he / they should give the next generation of props their opportunities - all right, throwing them in against the Springboks might be a baptism of fire but if you are good enough, you’re young enough! I also like your appraisal of Ted Hill and Chandler C-S’s job share - makes good sense. I am a proud Englishman but as someone born in East-Africa, I have a soft spot for the Springboks! It will be a tough ask to get a result against them …
Bang on with your analysis Tim. As usual you are a voice of reason. I agree with you that they look gassed and that is causing massive errors in the blitz defence. Underhill for Curry absolutely yes. Can’t see Randall starting but I agree with your view but can’t see Borthwick doing than. No way he’ll move away fromSlade although he should. I can’t see Borthwick moving far away from last weeks selections and he won’t blood inexperienced players against SA. I fear for England, but also I wonder if they have one of those wonder games in them and somehow do a job on them, but maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part!
First: The main SA team will play their last test for the year. ( ex Malherbe and Kitshoff ) Second: The SA team will step it up this weekend. Third: You can brace yourself for one or two major trick plays from the Boks. If the Boks come out rested and focused and pull a Mbombela, I can not see even with yellows or reds cards how England can cope. And I think we will see a Mbombela. Anyway - good luck and may the best team on the day take the win, and we as supporters see a game without handling errors, Ref that want to be in the lime light and Bok Team who sorted out their Line outs and Scrum timing.
Don't remind me of the Mbombela game. I stay here got my tickets on day one only to realized the next day that my anniversary trip to Mauritius is already paid for and so I miss Eben 128😢
Great channel. Yes, England played bloody well against the Wallabies and just lost at the end of the game. Sometimes this happens. As a South African I'm worried about the game this coming weekend, especially as the Boks had a bad game against Scotland.
So agree with you Timmo. England will be better very soon. Margins are slim. They played a good game tonight. The journos in England have too much power
love the show. been watching since before Bok WC 2023 glory (btw, was at Cardiff, Ellis Park 99, 95) ... Just seems like Eggchaser is frantically scrambling eggs before sitting down and having to deal with a full roast :) go bokke!
I'd like to see England adopt a style of play and stick to it..come win or lose. This might help sort out selection, mentality and tactics in the long-term. Maybe I'm just one of the lone, few voices that enjoyed watching, listening and playing this bruising but beautiful game 60 years ago!
To be charitable to Borthwick - I think the Tactics he is trying to implement are extremely intense. He is going for a blitz defense which requires high energy and intensity across a full 80 minutes, with a structured attack (by which I mean we don't kick to make the game unstructured like France or New Zealand do) to break down opposition, and set piece parity or domination required for all of that to click. All of that requires a huge amount of energy, a team that is capable of executing high skills in defense and attack under pressure, and then talented halfbacks who can control the tempo of the game together to turn the intensity on or off at key moments (I think this is the hardest part) Basically we need 4 players of Maro Itojes' calibre in our second row and 6 world-class front rowers to execute our gameplan. At the moment we have maybe 3 elite level FR's, Stuart is looking better, I think Fin Baxter is a good talent if managed properly, and Theo Dan is also looking lively. We're just lacking the depth and experience in the tight 5 to execute our gameplan properly. That being said, the best coaches shouldbe able to work around the limitations of the squad, and if that means simplifying the style of game we play to win more, I don't really care. If we are the wrong side of a bunch of home games, I feel like Borthwick's job might be at risk.
Really good post that. Chessum is a massive injury as the fall off after Itoje, Martin and Chessum at lock is huge. The tight five depth isn't quite there. The bench impact is low as a result. I do think there are talents from the latest U20s who could progress very quickly though. Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Afolabi Fasogbon are excellent prospects at prop. Henry Pollock is a Kwagga Smith esque athlete in the back row. Whilst Junior Kpoku is already doing well for Racing in the Top 14 at only 19 - I'd hope they're doing everything they can to get him to a Prem club.
Scotland fan here. Was at the SA game on Sunday. I think all the 6 Nations countries need to be realistic about the generational aspect of our teams. Your point at the beginning of the video about media reaction to England's results is spot on. We (Scotland fans) knew we had a minuscule chance of getting a result, but this is our best team, and hope, in decades!! No disrespect to England or Wales supporters and players, but it feels fair to say the current squads just aren't at the level of winning sides from previous years, and it is unutterably wrong to be bitter or complain about that. Nothing lasts forever in any sport, so of course there will be some fallow years. I liked the fact you thought Zander Fagerson is Lions/Bokke worthy. Good shout! The question for the weekend I'd pose, is who among the current potential England squad would get into Rassie's 23 ...?
Itoje - yep, agreed. I also think Rassie would love George Martin...he's very young right now. Not saying he'd make team, but wider squad. Jack Willis, Underhill, Tom Curry all nudge Van Staden out i'd say. Jack Willis would be allowed to play for SA too! Marcus Smith would be pushing (England's fly halves are generally brilliant - Farrell would've been their favourite ever 10 if he'd been South African, ironically as many hate him). Feyi Waboso could be a great Mapimpi replacement - similar player, but behind Arendse and Kolbe. Many of these are maybe not starting XV. But several would be challenging. We have good players!
I agree with the point about selection, I think part of why it’s talked about is just that it’s easier to talk to. Mentality - you can’t see inside players heads, tactics that’s for the pros. So I don’t follow the premiership or have a huge amount of context but I struggle to understand way Freddie Steward isn’t playing and at Test level he plays well against SA. I’d love to see him play at the weekend and more regularly.
A great video again Tim, Thanks. As to boring rugby, I think at the moment we may have the worst* of two worlds (* too strong of word) , blitz defence and lots of box kicking. There were very few back moves, other than box kicks and the odd crash ball, we hardly saw the ball along the back line, loop arounds etc. When Furbank and England played well, with entertaining rugby, was when the backs mixed it with Furbank being the second play making, joining the line, making breaks. Yes we have nearly won a few games, but we are slowly going back to the turgid rugby which does not represent the running rugby player play week in week out in the English premiership. To what extent is the mentality problem due to players having to play a move conservative game to what they are used to? just unlock the shackles and let them play rugby. Rambling rant over
I must have been watching different games to you in an alternate reality because I've seen England playing really expensive rugby in the last two games, breaking through the defence and scoring tries, that hasn't been the problem imo. The problem has been the defence, or rather lack of one. Had we been able to defend properly, not miss tackles, not have players come inside allowing overloads to happen, then we may be having a very different discussion now. This is surely down to the coaching of players and the tactics set out before the game, unless it's just being left to the individual players to make on the fly in game decisions and not analysing games and learning from mistakes, which I just can't see being the case. I do put it down to firstly some of the players not being good enough and secondly the coaching/tactics. The mentality issue you only get from winning games so by doing the first two things properly you should get the winning mentality because of winning games. Thinking about it a bit further the good mentality comes from a good defence, being able to get ahead, and then being battle hardened enough to withstand the opposition's attacks at the end of games through good defence to stop them scoring giving the players belief by doing this time and again. I'm not sure this is something you can just fix, maybe if players play for clubs that do this they can just bring this into the international setup but again this just can't be instilled into players who don't already have it, it comes with experiencing it, from the other two points, good enough players and good enough coaching.
@@mattpotter8725 Actually reading your comment I agree with majority of it and yes defence is a major problem, the players are all on different page and it does come down to coaching. I'm Saints fan and since Lee Radford joined the saints coaching team the defence is so much better. There is something wrong the English defence coaching at the moment. I think the majority of England team are good enough, it's the coaching/tactics and then getting winning mentality, again as we saw last year with the Saints. I guess my frustration with the last two games, when the going gets a little tuff we resort a tight defensive game, lot of box kick, player the percentages, with forwards constantly taking the ball in. We just need to m ix it up more and see the ball go out wide fast. How often did we see Freeman and Feyi-Waboso get the ball out wind with a one on one? Perhaps being a Saints fan, currently is seems Freeman and Furbank have shackles on when playing for england.
Tim if you look closely, those last few minutes of the game I could see some of England players were cracking jokes and not taking the game seriously. That's why Australia snatched the win. I don't think the hunger to win is there.
Tim, you’re hired😂 Love to see Hill have a crack and Freeman at centre. Lawrence us our 12 for now - work with what we have but he’s 13 really - and Slade just doesn’t provide enough thrust. As for Smith, let the playmaker play - at 10 for the whole match. Also wondering if CCS is better used at 8 over time. Tempted to play Steward but I would prefer to see Furbank coming into the line like he does for Northampton. Sadly, Borthwick will probably just make two changes - sleighholme for EFW and Curry for Curry. I find this flip from boot and box kick ball to blitz and through the hands as quite naive. England don’t have the fitness or accuracy in execution to play that way. Open up in the right areas of the pitch. Use the boot to turn the opposition and to gain territory. Then go through the gears. My fear is that they destroy us in the set piece, which means that much of this chat is futile.
If you look at the mentality of the clubs most of the guys playing come from i.e Saints, Quins, Bristol, Saracens who, to one degree or another, all play off counter attack it, ignite when the opportunities arise and have an attacking mind set with good defence built into the system. Contrast that to SB's Leicester which, whilst effective, was pretty dull. One has to ask is the problem a lot of the team are being asked to leave their week to week DNA behind for a pragmatic game and as such lose momentum when ahead as their mindset is forced into one of holding rather than going for it.
Would love to see nick evans get a proper go at attack rather than incumbent for wiggie, i still think we have to give wiggie till the end of the six nations, but if we cant balance attack and defence by the end of the s.n we should try to get Evans, lam or vesty.
@@somenamethatdoesntmatter Yeh, I've never been a fan of Wigglesworth as an attack coach, hasn't show any real innovation, very very very new to the job, and I get the sense he's a supporter for SB rather than pushing him to get out of his comfort zone and try different things. If you have a guy like SB at the helm you need some creative or inspirational to be a figurehead for the players. Also, vividly remember when it took the players having to insist on training attack during the Six nations rather than just training defence.
You have nailed this one. Just another thought - One of the other commentators below spoke about politics and rugby. I wonder if the current disarray in England's politics at the moment doesn't translate to their rugby team? They are not cohesive and don't seem to have a common goal of playing for their country the way Springboks are doing. Springboks are playing for their country DESPITE the politicians.
After the All Blacks game, I said that England were trying to use a Bok-style blitz defence without having the Bok beef, fitness and chasing lost causes-ness. I was called all sorts of names. Now everyone is saying it. When the Boks used this blitz system they also missed more tackles, but there always seemed to be another Bok player to plug the gap. England unfortunately don't have that. Maybe Borthwick needs to try something new with the Boks
You can't separate mentality and selection so easily. To me, and many others, it's been obvious that Marcus Smith has been England's playmaker for a long time. Firmly believe that with him at 10, South Africa wouldn't have been in the 2023 RWC final against the AB's. Two weeks ago, England were ahead when he was running the play, then he was subbed and England lost another match they could and should have won. Again this past weekend, Smith gets shuffled around to accommodate Ford, and England lose a game they were leading in the final minute ... and game they were favourite to win. England's biggest problem is that they currently have too few players with the BMT necessary to be a top contender. By my count there's only Itoje, Cunningham-South and Smith, with Fayi-Waboso having potential. So when you start messing around with those, you're inviting failure. It's exactly like the Manie Libbok debacle. Sure he can do some amazing things on his day when all the stars align, but he has zero BMT. That's why Rassie pulled him in the RWC semi, it's why the Boks lost a match they should have won against Argentina, and it's why we will never see Manie start for the Boks without a backup plan on the bench ... because you just cannot rely on him to deliver when the chips are down. At this level you need players who you know you can bank on to give you a brilliant performance even on their off days, and that is what's currently setting the All Blacks and Boks apart from everyone else.
Tim, I think this week will be another close game. These games are always very close and England are rebuilding. As a Saffa, the Springboks are also developing and there have been issues so it will be small margins and who wants it more. The ref and tmo will play a big role again, as will the new laws. It is going to be a awesome game and I hope we get to see some great tries. Of course I hope the Springboks win but I don't think it is as clear cut and there is the semi final world cup game that England need to get out of their system. That is my worry. Thanks for the great videos as always.
England have everything going for them , but something I have noticed about oz and england in politics and rugby , they quich to sack the coach or prime minister , choose more carefully , then give the coach their fair chance. Rassie was given the freedom to do what hr believes needs to be done, and he is above any player in the pecking order . Even if the coach makes a couple mistakes , you have to back him until his term is over otherwise you will never get momentum
England need to stop celebrating every small "win" in a game and focus on the next job to win the match Keep Marcus on for 80 min to keep building his leadership and his experience at the end of games... England are better when they need to get after after it for sure. Think about the great AB sides that kept that scoreboard ticking regardless of being up 10 - 20 points... I'm a Bok supporter through and through, but in terms of racking up scores and closing out games the Boks and the AB's, historically, are on another level.
As ever, great analysis. One thing strikes me as curious. My old school rugby coach in the early 80s at Stonyhurst was the fabulous Dick Greenwood. I say this as he discussed the importance of a good mental approach - be positive and control the game, don’t sit back. He told us this on many occasions as he did not want us to be like England as they only ever did well on the back foot. We, as a nation, thrive on the back foot. It’s a thing isn’t it?
I'm not sure you're completely right, but I do see what you're saying. I'm not sure we had this mentality when we won the World Cup in 2003, and even more recently under Eddie Jones, before things obviously went sour. I think it's just a much too easy excuse to say it's just something in the national psyche. Maybe it's just human nature but that the other, more consistently top international teams always have this drilled into them whereas we don't always have coaches that instill this into players, they assume players have this already so don't need telling them it at every opportunity.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on whether the players playing outside the UK would make a difference! Arundell, Marchant, Farrell, Willis ...
Tim, remember what happened in the RWC Semi Final, everyone was writing England off and the Boks were going to run away with it. I would not be so quick to write them off, I am extremely nervous.
Leaning towards the mentality. Can’t help thinking about how ballistic Fazz used to get with teammates when performance levels or game plans were dropping - He reminded everyone why they were there. Going further back, Martin Johnson was the same. Perhaps JG is just not gnarly enough? More filth and fury needed.
Hi Tim - all the way from South Africa - there is nothing wrong with Eng rugby tean like you say small things needs to be looked at and the wins will come remember these are top teams playing each other and the wheel will turn for them (Eng). For this weekend sorry mate my prediction is SA winning. Thanks for the programme its great watching
Have you actually watched the games this autumn up here in the Northern Hemisphere? Yes, both England games have been entertaining, but the defending by England has been atrocious with at times the opposition looking like they could score a try every time they threw the ball out wide to the backs. You just don't win games without having a solid defence to back up your attacking play, even if you're great going forward. I agree that England aren't terrible, we're on a level with Argentina I'd say, who are a tough team to play in their own backyard, but I just don't think we have the quality in depth to complete with the Boks or All Blacks unless either we play amazing rugby and put the opposition on the back foot and the opponents have an off day with many handling errors, penalties, and missed kicks. It will be interesting how it plays out on Saturday but all I know is that England just can't have the same defensive strategy of blitz defence because if we do we'll get cut apart. It will be interesting if England can play the running, attacking rugby they have at times in these two Autumn Internationals and break through the Boks defence to score tries, but I suspect England will play more conservatively and keep the ball with the forwards and try to stifle play, keep things tight. I think there is a balance between the two that would be better, that's how the best teams play but when their backs are against the wall this isn't generally how England play.
Love your videos and insights SO much Tim. Just a random idea - use it/dont use it - I've always found rating players out of 10, after a rugby or football game, very engaging. For instance, after Manchester United play, myself and many others immediately go to The United Stand youtube channel to see Mark Goldbridge's player ratings. You might be aware of him. I watch him and I dont even consider myself a United fan. He reacts to the game and gives every (United) player a score. I know this channel doesn't focus solely on one team but I just thought the concept might be worth considering. Even though your videos are super compelling as they are right now and actually dont need anything! 😊💪 Also, Mark let's the fans give their live ratings which is awesome, but I suppose operating that requires lots of backend/admin work - too much for a layman like me! 😅 Just thought I'd mention the idea as I'm super invested in this channel and just want to support/see you keep growing amd building so that this can become bigger and bigger. People need to see this awesome content/analysis, youtube needs to pay you lots in the future (😉💪) and the growth of Eggchacers is a win-win for absolutely ALL 🙏 Much Love from JHB, RSA 💚⚡
Love your side. Will the hybrid contract allow Borthers to suggest to Saints that Freeman is a 13 going forward? I don't think it does, but it should. I'd go big Trev. It's harsh on him and Cole, but Cole has been struggling against Aus. And the Boks depth scares me. Maybe Roebuck on the wing if we are going contestables? Being 6 foot 5 has to help with the rule changes. love that on the bench you have Loz. Much more positive than an out and out FH (as good as our options are). I get Steward at 15 ( I think I suggested in a comment on an earlier vid). But then I'd have Furbank on the bench.
As I agree with you in part Tim, selection is still the main problem and has a direct influence on mentality and tactics. It's not a coincidence that in the last 2, we lost when the changes were made, you ask is mentality a lack of pitch leadership? But we took our captain off, that's selection. The AB and Oz games were quite different on the pitch, yet we change the half backs at the same time, so that's a pre medatated tactic based on selection. The 6-2 split is selection. Having 3 back rowers who can all cover 8, on the pitch, yet having a specialist 8 on the bench, is selection.
Excellent analysis. I do though think selection is still an issue. Picking Curry and Ford with so little recent rugby/form was too conservative. And continually ignoring young players at the very top of their game including Ted Hill, Tom Willis and Tom Pearson is baffling.
He is a class act. Id like to see him on the wing withDaly at 15. He did sterling work in that position before. Go Bokke. Die lyf is hier is SA maar die hart loop saam julle.
No never have Steward , back he turns round like a stranded Tank in a sea of mud and conceded too many tries as wings zoomed past him. He is great under the high ball though I will give him that, maybe if it’s muddy England could pick him
One of your best videos yet, type of vlog I would create if I was a TH-cam sensation! George Ford kicks the penalty or drop goal, they win against NZ, the following week Maro Itoje catches the ball and then doesn't drop it, they win against Australia. Now what do the critics say? However, selection does have an impact, much as NZ's subs didn't pitch mid-year, shifting a fly half to full back is going to have consequences on defence. Awesome attacking fly half and should be left there. Loss of Tom Curry massive, need more replacements like him, bench not able to do the job he did. Mentality comes with the selection, they have to believe they can win. Starters seem to be at the races, reserves not so much. Tactics seem to be pretty good, execution less so, but then that is also 2nd half when they seem gassed so it is mental as well as physical. Springboks got rid of the rust against Scotland and it was a good hit out so I think this could be 2 scores win for them.
Tim, in 2018 the Springboks had a 50% win rate, but every match ghey lost was within a score, then in 2019 it turned around. Have faith, it might just happen this weekend
Crazy the scorecard, so close all the games they have played in 2024 even the semi final last year. They just can’t seem to close the games, you would think after all those matches it would have happened by now, but now losing to Australia it’ll be a hammer blow
English supporters put too much pressure on their teams (rugby and football). Too high Expectations lead to dissapointment. Unjustified "problems" and over reactions. There is nothing wrong with the team...
Hi Tim, you mentioned the mentality of England during the 1st world cup game against Argentina . . . they played with 14 men for over 70 minutes. Backs to the wall attitude , just as though they were losing.
You alluded to it Tim, the overarching category is Team Cohesion & Synergy™ (TCS), or not. This is complex and not as simple as it appears at first glance - it's built on four performance domains: the energetic (energy systems of the body, expressed individually & collectively as a group/team), psychological (mental, emotional, & spiritual dimensions, E.g. SA playing for a bigger cause/purpose), physical (skill & ability, and power, speed, agility, explosiveness), and strategic (selections, game plan, strategy, & tactics within the unique conditions of each game), in execution (this is key)😇
Unintended consequences ... more access, more box kicks, more knock-ons, more scrums ... What are World Rugby going to do when the Boks choose to take a scrum from a penalty in their own 22 to exhaust the opposition ... ban that too? The other thing that you inferred but I want to tease to the surface is the conditioning level, when you're supremely fit the frontal cortex is free to remain composed, able to see the game rather than the next tackle or chase ... additionally it is apparent that the Bok training sessions are hard, very hard indeed and I'm wondering if this is the modern version of the military maxim "Bloody maneuvers produces bloodless battles" or something in that vein, I know I mangled it a little. Rassie is an inspirational coach, and I'm wondering if Borthwick needs a 'cheerleader' to fill that role for him.
Very insightful analysis Tim! I disagree on turning the mentality around being something that can happen quickly. The Rassie story is instructive. He took over the Springboks with their ridiculous endowment of talent at a low point. Yes, he probably brought an immediate change in morale and belief but it took time to reach that All Black level of belief in winning and taking the necessary risks on field. Going deeper, if you look at the team culture, he and the coaching squad mentor youngsters as potential and eventual springboks from school leaving age with a total package of personal support, including getting to know their families. Look at Siya’s story. My point is that a winning mentality doesn’t just come from changing a loosing teams attitude; it is built as a totality of team and individuals relationships. Arguably his off-field investments in people have added an essential extra dimension to the mentality aspect on the field.
Would like to see Dombrandt start at 8. One last big crack of the whip before we decide to keep him or move on. Stellar in the Prem, but he’s not done enough in an England shirt. He had a decent runout last week so I think it’s now or never. Hill and Underhill on the bench. Tasty
Great analysis, one thing I’d throw into the mix is media / comms, England are clearly on the back foot which is not helping the vibe or confidence. Borthwick is just dreadful and I don’t think that’s recoverable.
Yes Tim when England are in front they try to see the game over the line by bringing on Ford. I’m glad you didn’t put him on the bench because the 5/3 bench you chose is the one I would have liked these past two weeks.
I actually love the new laws. Box kicks/Contestible kicks are now more viable, but its now much easier to charge down this kick. Makes the game exciting.
This weekend is a win-win for Tim. His home country is playing against his "home away from home" country. 😅
LOL. Good one
Lol. Good one
😂😂😂😂
😂
But which one is which😂😂
Tim please show us the behind the scenes atmosphere at Twickers. We South Africans who cant go dont know how it is there.
Especially drunk fans 🤣
That would be amazing footage Tim. Please make a behind scenes video
It's a very electric atmosphere, but overall it's really respectful, had NZ fans waving their flag around and no one really cared. Ignore the stereotypes around stereotypes it's an incredible experience
Yeah, he should do like he did at Loftus this year.
Please do
If it comes down to mentality we're screwed. Watched the Boks in open practice in Edinburgh and they are loving life, all smiles and fantastic team spirit.
Probably comes from a team that knows what they are doing vs a team that is very unsure. Boks are flying high atm. Hoping for a bit performance because I do love this particular match up.
England is a good team. As a South African, I am nervous for this game as they are better than the criticism they received. I thought the same thing about the All Blacks recently.
It's a fine line between winning and losing...... It's called the equator.
Good one.
That's really good!
😂😂😂
So an imaginary circle around Earth that is an imaginary line equidistant from the geographic poles and lies in a plane perpendicular to Earth’s axis is also a geographical phenomenon in winning rugby games .
😂😂
😊
I'm a South African living in the uk and it always blows my mind how quick media and fans turn against their team, its crazy 🤪
It happens in SA as well when the Boks are constantly loosing …
@@WimPrins13we kak on the bokke even before the game is finished! 😂😂😂
@@WimPrins13when last was this?
@@zeezan231 After the loss to Argentina in the 2024 Rugby Championship…. The SA fans were so brutal- it got personal during that week.
Totally agree mate. Whingers
The over-reaction when England lose comes from the over-reaction when England win.
Ooof stop on
The over-reaction is there because most of our fans - including the media - believe we have some sort of divine right when it comes to results. If we get beaten ‘it’s because we played badly or were coached badly’. The thing that we’re ignoring - which is practically punching us in the face - is that our players are extremely average, and it’s no one’s fault.
perfect comment
@@DoddyIshamel English media clowns
@@StopTheRotBadly coached for years
Small margins. England can beat any top team if they're at their best. Hoping for a good game this weekend! Go Bokke!
not the boks if they can't scrum.
Everybody keeps saying that that everybody's team can beat anybody on the day. When did that last happen with England? Ireland and the six Nations and before then?
Bollocks, the English have a losers mentality, in pretty much all sports. I’m English.
There is nothing between the teams . Which is very good for the game. I expect the game tomorrow to be close until the benches empty out . Englands is very weak.
Excellent analysis, Tim - sober, factual and objective!
Winning close games, is a mindset.
To quote Jaques Nienaber. “Its about having a superior discontent”. a refusal to lose the game no matter what.
Which builds on team culture, team belief and accurate preparation.
Winning becomes a habit just like losing
I agree with the point about mentality. As a kiwi watching the nz eng game, i couldnt believe the poor decision making from England. Tried a drop goal before halftime, without a penalty advantage to fall back on. They had us under pressure and totally let us off the hook there.
Then Ford did the same thing at the 80th minute.
Even further back, In the drawn game between nz and Eng, we played with ball in hand after the whistle went looking for a win, eng turned it over and kicked it straight into touch. Happy to take a draw in rugby is the wrong mindset at international level
Smug kiwi bull-shit.
You won because a) the 80th minute drop goal went wide, and b) because we have a coach who is more motivated by his Pension scheme than by results.
Keep your utterly classless crowing to yourself, pal. You have a thoroughly average team, and England have a thoroughly clueless set of coaches. That is no justification for false pride.
Greetings from South Africa ! I think Borthwick should strive to build a larger 35 man squad, giving all some measure of playing time. Makes for healthy competition inside the squad, and a stronger bench. Also mentality : Penalty time, back themselves more, go for the corner, don't settle for safe 3 pointers. More fire and mongrel !
Great show Tim - your logical approach is so notable.
Keep up the fantastic show, it makes the games so much more interesting and one looks forward to the pre match and post match chats.
Good Onya and let’s look forward to another great weekend of rugby!👍🏉
Tim. I've stopped listening to other 'Pundits' and 'Analysts'. You are the man. You are absolutely spot on.
As a Springbok supporter. I think England is a great team. They tough and always give the Springboks a challenge. Two comments - hope the ref handles the breakdowns (see a great deal of slow rolling away after the tackle from the wrong side).
My second opinion amd my perception is England focus on the opposition when they win a scrum or penalty etc I.e in their face celebrating!! Perhaps turn the focus inwards towards your own team, winning a scrum etc is worthy to be excited but that hasn't won the war!
Looking forward to a great game this weekend.
Tim it would be amazing to bump into you there. Us Saffas are huge fans of yours! Thanks for all the hardwork you put in to produce this channel.
Hi Tim. Greetings from South Africa. Your comments on mentality are interesting. The question I think is: "are they playing to win or playing not to lose (and the losing)?
South Africa's DNA (mentality) is: no matter what we have no option but to win.
Agree - Australia played a great game. Key for England is to sustain the pressure - they start well, but don’t put it away.
England will be a force to be reconned with this coming weekend. Springboks struggled with handling errors and lineouts. In the world cup England put it to SA with their tactical game plan, which seemed to be the Springbok Achilles heel. I don't think England's ability to win this coming game is within their hands. But rather, will the springboks play poorly, like they did against Scotland, or will they be on form? If they play poorly, England has a chance to defeat them. They will need a half time score advantage because the boks will come out swinging second half.
Will England be able to go at it 3 weeks in a row?
Nonsense. If the Boks play poorly they still win, that’s been the most impressive thing about them this year and literally happened against Scotland and they won by 17. Englands scrum was demolished by the All Blacks, and it will be against the Boks.
England only did well last year in the WC because they played an incredibly ugly game style in the rain. The Boks picked Libbok at 10, and tried to run it against England in the first half, which given the conditions didn’t work. Tactically there is absolutely no system that England can better the Boks on paper. The Boks live for the ugly game if they want to play it, and with their current crop of talent they can comfortably beat England playing attacking, free flowing rugby as well. The only way England stand a chance against them, is by getting really lucky, the ref needs to be heavily in their favour, and they need to avoid the any scrums on the Boks own ball. England need to concede no penalties, and no knock ons, and it will be close.
@jameswyatt4443 spot on. I don't think we have gotten out of second gear this whole year. Maybe against Argentina in Mbombela was the closest to our best
@@jameswyatt4443 Look not disagreeing with you, My money is on the boks, Engalnd will need something very special to beat the boks. But I wouldn't put it past them.
@@jameswyatt4443Whilst I totally agree with what you said at the start of your post I think England can win but it would require the Boks to play badly and England not to play in the same way but to try and stifle South Africa. England will, I'm sure, get some home team advantage from the ref to a certain extent anyway (all teams do) but if England were able to stop the Boks getting the ball out wide to the backs and/or make the tackles they should be making then England could win. Do I think this will happen, in a word no. I expect either the Boks to run away with it or it be a relatively close game and then the Boks pull away at the end. Either way I just don't see England winning, South Africa are just too good with too much strength in depth.
Still going strong. Amazing how one's emotion is affected by your team. I feel your pain with england. prepare for more mate. And thanks for all the vids over the years. You are really good at what you do and you know a wee bit about rugby :)
In all fairness, not taking anything away from Eng, they took on a Boks team in the RWC who were seriously tired. We saw that. Boks had tough physicall games even through the group matches with huge physicall players against them too. Week after week it was tough games. Then in the qf France took alot more energy. Boks rested one day less and had to go play in wet,rainy conditions being fatiged already. The style of play in the conditions plus they were still fit played a huge role in the SF. With that being said Eng didnt play badly but used the conditions better and considering they werent fatiged they brought it against a tired Boks outfit. And the same story counted going into the final for the Boks also.... Wet, rainy conditions and they were clearly still recovering. But Eng in my view arent playing bad rugby. They can only get better still. We will see what happens Saturday.
Thank you for stating the true facts
So glad you get to talk about your team!!!;)
The problem isn’t just selection of the team, it is the selection of the squad.
We are stuck in 2019 mentally with the make-up of the squad. Curry hasn’t been and never will be the 2019 Curry, similarly Underhill is injury prone and has his moments but you’re not going to get a run of games from him.
The need to have Ford in the squad is bizarre too given he’d played so little rugby. Exactly the same for Slade.
With 3 years until the World Cup there is far more value to blood the youth than the injury prone 2019 gang?
It’s a kick in the teeth to players like Pepper, Pearson and Mercer that they are consistently over looked for players that don’t play enough!
Using experience as the reason is also balls! How do you get experience by not being picked etc.
100% this ^
Even if they were fit they're both play too limited a game. Underhill in particular hasn't outplayed his opposite number in 18 months. Guys like T Hill and Pearson should be in the squad along with T Willis. They give you huge workrate, play both sides of the ball and aren't one -trick ponies.
Start with Itoje, Martin, Chessum, Earl and T Willis and then have CCS or T Hill along with Pearson on the bench and you have a better starting pack and a better bench with proper impact.
Keep Marcus on flyhalf for the full game. He is England's best play maker at the moment.
Maybe England should get more Filipinos selected
That's very true he is the best player
yes please, DDA / Andre love running the flyhalf channel! Jokes aside, he was definitely England's best player at the weekend
And don't move him to full back
He made the dumb decision to go for the 2nd last guy. Last try was due to his stupidity
I think you should appoint Rassie Errasmus as England’s coach! ❤ Problem solved for sure! Don’t worry, us South Africans are also nervous for Saturday’s game. We never take anything for granted.
And that is why you are world No 1🤗
Good point about Australia. In the first ten minutes or so it looked like the Aussie team we've been getting used to, and a landslide win incoming for England. But then the Aussies dug their heels in and played like we know they can and should be, and it was great to see them back to some good form.
So yes, England have plenty of issues but credit to our Aussie mates for putting on the best performance they have had in years. 👍
Wholeheartedly agree. That sort of performance by the Wallabies has been missing in action for a very long time. Great to see it back because, at their best, they’re an incredible team to watch - and the extra competition can only be a good thing got the health of the game as a whole.
Spot on Tim! The modern professional rugby player needs a huge mental strength to face the highs and lows in a game. Looking forward to this weekend, going to be some massive rugby.
Love from Cape Town, South Africa…. Thanks for all the content.
Agree Tim that mentality is critical for any team and certainly this particular England team. The issue becomes that you get used to losing by less than an score. Also very much agree that the loss of Felix Jones and Aled Walters has a bigger impact on this autumn series than could have been imagined. The England current coaching team look out of their depth at this stage. We have to hope that they learn quickly
Will be tight England will always bring their A game when playing South Africa especially now after they are hurt. The game will be tense and tight.
Must agree with you.
They always play well against the Springboks
I completely agree with you. A very hurt Red Rose they are going to hit so hard at the start of the game. It will definitely be a close one!!
As a Boks fan, I hope you’ve solved England’s issue for next week…! 😂
Love the content!
Interesting analysis as always. I think you summed it up very accurately when you said, and I’m paraphrasing, “if you look at England’s results it’s unacceptable, only beating the likes of Wales and Japan”. Surely that means that the coaching team have to go. We’ve got 3 years until the World Cup and, by the looks of it, a great crop of u25 players. Time to trust them with a more modern and innovative coaching team who understand international rugby levels.
Mentality is not the easiest thing to change but it's something that can be worked on, so many things go into having that winners mentality.
To have a winning mentality you have to start winning and consistently win and this is the problem, it's a chicken and egg scenario, you don't get one without the other, but to get it you need to win tight games, and to do that you need good, well coached, disciplined players who know their roles and how to carry them out. To get that I think it all goes back to the coaching staff and the tactics, essentially the head coach, Steve Borthwick, who to all eyes is learning on the job, which shouldn't be the case at this level.
Well done Tim, nailed it. Let’s hope for a bit of a shock on Saturday. We can dream.
hallucinate ?
As a Bok supporter, the game of the weekend was definitely England/Australia, it was great rugby.
It could be the best game of the autumn internationals
The only reason It looked good because there is zero defence in both teams that's why the scores were so high.
@@JohnWick-lc8siTrue. Defense was quite poor overall...
England have the weapons and talent: agree, its tactics and mental fortitude.
Tim.....my penny's worth. With regard to the "mentality" the England side require. To me its a mind shift that the Boks have often had to adopt......you remarked on it before......the Wild Dog approach. Working together as a team, especially when the chips are down is what England need to cultivate a legacy of giving it all in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Just my opinion. Thank you for Eggchasers.
Lambert
Spot on!!! They don't know, what we know - and never will!!!
@andrewheeler3358 Is what we don't know, how you still take advantage of people from the Townships?
Start picking the form players in the Premiership! Ted Hill and Tom Willis would be a start!
exactly its same old same we always pick old guard instead of inform players
Borthwick really hasn't been conservative with selection since the RWC though. He's switched to Furbank at 15. IFW, Freeman and Sleightholme are the wings. CCS was backed at flanker. Baxter is coming through at LH. Earl and Lawrence have been backed and established themselves. Marcus is starting ahead of Ford. Aren't Spencer and Randall the 'form' scrum-halves that everyone wanted to be picked from the Prem? Neither have been that good though. (Which arguably points to a bigger issue with picking on Premiership form when the league isn't very strong...) It feels like there are some England fans who will never be happy unless half the 23 are the new shiny thing from the Prem that we haven't seen at international level yet. Is there any successful coach in international rugby who actually selects like that though?
Looking forward to a good game...any team can have an off day...lets go..from Saffa
The subs growing! Well done Timjan!
Well done, Tim, on attempting to find solutions for this coming weekend’s match vs the Springboks. I understand your logic and agree with pretty much all of your selections. However, I do feel England and Steve Borthwick need to decide what their actual DNA is going forward and stick with it. I believe if SB is to save his job and coaching team in the process, he / they should give the next generation of props their opportunities - all right, throwing them in against the Springboks might be a baptism of fire but if you are good enough, you’re young enough! I also like your appraisal of Ted Hill and Chandler C-S’s job share - makes good sense. I am a proud Englishman but as someone born in East-Africa, I have a soft spot for the Springboks! It will be a tough ask to get a result against them …
You’re my go-to now when i go downstairs and eat a midnight cheese n pickle. Well in Eggy.
Bang on with your analysis Tim. As usual you are a voice of reason. I agree with you that they look gassed and that is causing massive errors in the blitz defence. Underhill for Curry absolutely yes. Can’t see Randall starting but I agree with your view but can’t see Borthwick doing than. No way he’ll move away fromSlade although he should. I can’t see Borthwick moving far away from last weeks selections and he won’t blood inexperienced players against SA. I fear for England, but also I wonder if they have one of those wonder games in them and somehow do a job on them, but maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part!
Psdt is coming for Marcus Smith I can feel it
A flanker going after a 10? Never seen that before. Genius.
@@rob.1hahaha such nuanced analysis here, get this man a TNT contract
Since when do flankers target 10s?
Great video!!!! Enjoyed it plenty. Thank you
First: The main SA team will play their last test for the year. ( ex Malherbe and Kitshoff )
Second: The SA team will step it up this weekend.
Third: You can brace yourself for one or two major trick plays from the Boks.
If the Boks come out rested and focused and pull a Mbombela, I can not see even with yellows or reds cards how England can cope. And I think we will see a Mbombela.
Anyway - good luck and may the best team on the day take the win, and we as supporters see a game without handling errors, Ref that want to be in the lime light and Bok Team who sorted out their Line outs and Scrum timing.
Don't remind me of the Mbombela game. I stay here got my tickets on day one only to realized the next day that my anniversary trip to Mauritius is already paid for and so I miss Eben 128😢
Great channel. Yes, England played bloody well against the Wallabies and just lost at the end of the game. Sometimes this happens. As a South African I'm worried about the game this coming weekend, especially as the Boks had a bad game against Scotland.
So agree with you Timmo. England will be better very soon. Margins are slim. They played a good game tonight. The journos in England have too much power
love the show. been watching since before Bok WC 2023 glory (btw, was at Cardiff, Ellis Park 99, 95) ... Just seems like Eggchaser is frantically scrambling eggs before sitting down and having to deal with a full roast :) go bokke!
ABSOLUTELY on the money Tim!! 💯
I'd like to see England adopt a style of play and stick to it..come win or lose. This might help sort out selection, mentality and tactics in the long-term. Maybe I'm just one of the lone, few voices that enjoyed watching, listening and playing this bruising but beautiful game 60 years ago!
To be charitable to Borthwick - I think the Tactics he is trying to implement are extremely intense. He is going for a blitz defense which requires high energy and intensity across a full 80 minutes, with a structured attack (by which I mean we don't kick to make the game unstructured like France or New Zealand do) to break down opposition, and set piece parity or domination required for all of that to click.
All of that requires a huge amount of energy, a team that is capable of executing high skills in defense and attack under pressure, and then talented halfbacks who can control the tempo of the game together to turn the intensity on or off at key moments (I think this is the hardest part)
Basically we need 4 players of Maro Itojes' calibre in our second row and 6 world-class front rowers to execute our gameplan. At the moment we have maybe 3 elite level FR's, Stuart is looking better, I think Fin Baxter is a good talent if managed properly, and Theo Dan is also looking lively. We're just lacking the depth and experience in the tight 5 to execute our gameplan properly.
That being said, the best coaches shouldbe able to work around the limitations of the squad, and if that means simplifying the style of game we play to win more, I don't really care. If we are the wrong side of a bunch of home games, I feel like Borthwick's job might be at risk.
Really good post that. Chessum is a massive injury as the fall off after Itoje, Martin and Chessum at lock is huge. The tight five depth isn't quite there. The bench impact is low as a result. I do think there are talents from the latest U20s who could progress very quickly though. Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Afolabi Fasogbon are excellent prospects at prop. Henry Pollock is a Kwagga Smith esque athlete in the back row. Whilst Junior Kpoku is already doing well for Racing in the Top 14 at only 19 - I'd hope they're doing everything they can to get him to a Prem club.
Great analysis and an interesting prediction.
Best rugby content on TH-cam.
You’re slaying it mate 👍🤜
Scotland fan here. Was at the SA game on Sunday. I think all the 6 Nations countries need to be realistic about the generational aspect of our teams. Your point at the beginning of the video about media reaction to England's results is spot on. We (Scotland fans) knew we had a minuscule chance of getting a result, but this is our best team, and hope, in decades!! No disrespect to England or Wales supporters and players, but it feels fair to say the current squads just aren't at the level of winning sides from previous years, and it is unutterably wrong to be bitter or complain about that. Nothing lasts forever in any sport, so of course there will be some fallow years. I liked the fact you thought Zander Fagerson is Lions/Bokke worthy. Good shout! The question for the weekend I'd pose, is who among the current potential England squad would get into Rassie's 23 ...?
Only Itoje.
Itoje - yep, agreed. I also think Rassie would love George Martin...he's very young right now. Not saying he'd make team, but wider squad.
Jack Willis, Underhill, Tom Curry all nudge Van Staden out i'd say. Jack Willis would be allowed to play for SA too!
Marcus Smith would be pushing (England's fly halves are generally brilliant - Farrell would've been their favourite ever 10 if he'd been South African, ironically as many hate him).
Feyi Waboso could be a great Mapimpi replacement - similar player, but behind Arendse and Kolbe.
Many of these are maybe not starting XV. But several would be challenging. We have good players!
I agree with the point about selection, I think part of why it’s talked about is just that it’s easier to talk to. Mentality - you can’t see inside players heads, tactics that’s for the pros. So I don’t follow the premiership or have a huge amount of context but I struggle to understand way Freddie Steward isn’t playing and at Test level he plays well against SA. I’d love to see him play at the weekend and more regularly.
A great video again Tim, Thanks. As to boring rugby, I think at the moment we may have the worst* of two worlds (* too strong of word) , blitz defence and lots of box kicking. There were very few back moves, other than box kicks and the odd crash ball, we hardly saw the ball along the back line, loop arounds etc.
When Furbank and England played well, with entertaining rugby, was when the backs mixed it with Furbank being the second play making, joining the line, making breaks.
Yes we have nearly won a few games, but we are slowly going back to the turgid rugby which does not represent the running rugby player play week in week out in the English premiership.
To what extent is the mentality problem due to players having to play a move conservative game to what they are used to? just unlock the shackles and let them play rugby.
Rambling rant over
I must have been watching different games to you in an alternate reality because I've seen England playing really expensive rugby in the last two games, breaking through the defence and scoring tries, that hasn't been the problem imo.
The problem has been the defence, or rather lack of one. Had we been able to defend properly, not miss tackles, not have players come inside allowing overloads to happen, then we may be having a very different discussion now. This is surely down to the coaching of players and the tactics set out before the game, unless it's just being left to the individual players to make on the fly in game decisions and not analysing games and learning from mistakes, which I just can't see being the case.
I do put it down to firstly some of the players not being good enough and secondly the coaching/tactics. The mentality issue you only get from winning games so by doing the first two things properly you should get the winning mentality because of winning games.
Thinking about it a bit further the good mentality comes from a good defence, being able to get ahead, and then being battle hardened enough to withstand the opposition's attacks at the end of games through good defence to stop them scoring giving the players belief by doing this time and again. I'm not sure this is something you can just fix, maybe if players play for clubs that do this they can just bring this into the international setup but again this just can't be instilled into players who don't already have it, it comes with experiencing it, from the other two points, good enough players and good enough coaching.
@@mattpotter8725 Actually reading your comment I agree with majority of it and yes defence is a major problem, the players are all on different page and it does come down to coaching. I'm Saints fan and since Lee Radford joined the saints coaching team the defence is so much better. There is something wrong the English defence coaching at the moment.
I think the majority of England team are good enough, it's the coaching/tactics and then getting winning mentality, again as we saw last year with the Saints.
I guess my frustration with the last two games, when the going gets a little tuff we resort a tight defensive game, lot of box kick, player the percentages, with forwards constantly taking the ball in. We just need to m ix it up more and see the ball go out wide fast. How often did we see Freeman and Feyi-Waboso get the ball out wind with a one on one? Perhaps being a Saints fan, currently is seems Freeman and Furbank have shackles on when playing for england.
Tim if you look closely, those last few minutes of the game I could see some of England players were cracking jokes and not taking the game seriously. That's why Australia snatched the win. I don't think the hunger to win is there.
Tim, you’re hired😂
Love to see Hill have a crack and Freeman at centre. Lawrence us our 12 for now - work with what we have but he’s 13 really - and Slade just doesn’t provide enough thrust.
As for Smith, let the playmaker play - at 10 for the whole match. Also wondering if CCS is better used at 8 over time.
Tempted to play Steward but I would prefer to see Furbank coming into the line like he does for Northampton.
Sadly, Borthwick will probably just make two changes - sleighholme for EFW and Curry for Curry.
I find this flip from boot and box kick ball to blitz and through the hands as quite naive. England don’t have the fitness or accuracy in execution to play that way. Open up in the right areas of the pitch. Use the boot to turn the opposition and to gain territory. Then go through the gears.
My fear is that they destroy us in the set piece, which means that much of this chat is futile.
If you look at the mentality of the clubs most of the guys playing come from i.e Saints, Quins, Bristol, Saracens who, to one degree or another, all play off counter attack it, ignite when the opportunities arise and have an attacking mind set with good defence built into the system. Contrast that to SB's Leicester which, whilst effective, was pretty dull. One has to ask is the problem a lot of the team are being asked to leave their week to week DNA behind for a pragmatic game and as such lose momentum when ahead as their mindset is forced into one of holding rather than going for it.
Would love to see nick evans get a proper go at attack rather than incumbent for wiggie, i still think we have to give wiggie till the end of the six nations, but if we cant balance attack and defence by the end of the s.n we should try to get Evans, lam or vesty.
@@somenamethatdoesntmatter Yeh, I've never been a fan of Wigglesworth as an attack coach, hasn't show any real innovation, very very very new to the job, and I get the sense he's a supporter for SB rather than pushing him to get out of his comfort zone and try different things. If you have a guy like SB at the helm you need some creative or inspirational to be a figurehead for the players. Also, vividly remember when it took the players having to insist on training attack during the Six nations rather than just training defence.
You have nailed this one. Just another thought - One of the other commentators below spoke about politics and rugby. I wonder if the current disarray in England's politics at the moment doesn't translate to their rugby team? They are not cohesive and don't seem to have a common goal of playing for their country the way Springboks are doing. Springboks are playing for their country DESPITE the politicians.
I'd hope the rfu would reconsider selecting our overseas economic migrants.
After the All Blacks game, I said that England were trying to use a Bok-style blitz defence without having the Bok beef, fitness and chasing lost causes-ness. I was called all sorts of names. Now everyone is saying it.
When the Boks used this blitz system they also missed more tackles, but there always seemed to be another Bok player to plug the gap. England unfortunately don't have that. Maybe Borthwick needs to try something new with the Boks
You can't separate mentality and selection so easily.
To me, and many others, it's been obvious that Marcus Smith has been England's playmaker for a long time. Firmly believe that with him at 10, South Africa wouldn't have been in the 2023 RWC final against the AB's. Two weeks ago, England were ahead when he was running the play, then he was subbed and England lost another match they could and should have won. Again this past weekend, Smith gets shuffled around to accommodate Ford, and England lose a game they were leading in the final minute ... and game they were favourite to win.
England's biggest problem is that they currently have too few players with the BMT necessary to be a top contender. By my count there's only Itoje, Cunningham-South and Smith, with Fayi-Waboso having potential. So when you start messing around with those, you're inviting failure.
It's exactly like the Manie Libbok debacle. Sure he can do some amazing things on his day when all the stars align, but he has zero BMT.
That's why Rassie pulled him in the RWC semi, it's why the Boks lost a match they should have won against Argentina, and it's why we will never see Manie start for the Boks without a backup plan on the bench ... because you just cannot rely on him to deliver when the chips are down. At this level you need players who you know you can bank on to give you a brilliant performance even on their off days, and that is what's currently setting the All Blacks and Boks apart from everyone else.
Tim, I think this week will be another close game. These games are always very close and England are rebuilding. As a Saffa, the Springboks are also developing and there have been issues so it will be small margins and who wants it more. The ref and tmo will play a big role again, as will the new laws. It is going to be a awesome game and I hope we get to see some great tries. Of course I hope the Springboks win but I don't think it is as clear cut and there is the semi final world cup game that England need to get out of their system. That is my worry. Thanks for the great videos as always.
Agree with your choices....👍
England have everything going for them , but something I have noticed about oz and england in politics and rugby , they quich to sack the coach or prime minister , choose more carefully , then give the coach their fair chance. Rassie was given the freedom to do what hr believes needs to be done, and he is above any player in the pecking order . Even if the coach makes a couple mistakes , you have to back him until his term is over otherwise you will never get momentum
Politics and sport don't mix. Look at what rugby Australia did to Israel Folau!
@ColinAnderson-hy2oj Its the aussy and english attitude towards it that has hurt their sport . but agreed politics should stay out of sport
Brilliant analyses
You nailed it. Togetherness
Spot on Tim!
England need to stop celebrating every small "win" in a game and focus on the next job to win the match Keep Marcus on for 80 min to keep building his leadership and his experience at the end of games... England are better when they need to get after after it for sure. Think about the great AB sides that kept that scoreboard ticking regardless of being up 10 - 20 points... I'm a Bok supporter through and through, but in terms of racking up scores and closing out games the Boks and the AB's, historically, are on another level.
Ireland is also guilty of celebrating every small win in a game
@@mlisto293nonsense. You just took the example of James Lowe and pasted it
As ever, great analysis. One thing strikes me as curious. My old school rugby coach in the early 80s at Stonyhurst was the fabulous Dick Greenwood. I say this as he discussed the importance of a good mental approach - be positive and control the game, don’t sit back. He told us this on many occasions as he did not want us to be like England as they only ever did well on the back foot. We, as a nation, thrive on the back foot. It’s a thing isn’t it?
I'm not sure you're completely right, but I do see what you're saying. I'm not sure we had this mentality when we won the World Cup in 2003, and even more recently under Eddie Jones, before things obviously went sour. I think it's just a much too easy excuse to say it's just something in the national psyche. Maybe it's just human nature but that the other, more consistently top international teams always have this drilled into them whereas we don't always have coaches that instill this into players, they assume players have this already so don't need telling them it at every opportunity.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on whether the players playing outside the UK would make a difference! Arundell, Marchant, Farrell, Willis ...
Willis, absolutly
Can’t wait for the England V South Africa Scrum 🤣😭.
Springboks are unplayable
we must play ox and wilco with Bongi. England will start to play soccer during the game just so they don't knock the ball on and have to scrum.
The scrum at the World Cup final in 2019 was a thing of beauty.
@@jonathandavis8599 it’s football mate.
@@nsd_respect It's soccer, that's what we call it in south Africa
All the best for the match Tim. You win no matter what😁
I think you're spot on by calling England 'robotic'. And I think that's a failing of leadership from the coaches.
Underhill a definite.I met him in our local builders merchants and you can tell he puts his head where everyone else wouldn’t😁
I agree about the high ball access law. Did wonder if that'd make Roebuck a good option on the wing too, as he's unreal in the air
Tim, remember what happened in the RWC Semi Final, everyone was writing England off and the Boks were going to run away with it. I would not be so quick to write them off, I am extremely nervous.
Totally agree with this selection
Leaning towards the mentality. Can’t help thinking about how ballistic Fazz used to get with teammates when performance levels or game plans were dropping - He reminded everyone why they were there. Going further back, Martin Johnson was the same. Perhaps JG is just not gnarly enough? More filth and fury needed.
Hi Tim - all the way from South Africa - there is nothing wrong with Eng rugby tean like you say small things needs to be looked at and the wins will come remember these are top teams playing each other and the wheel will turn for them (Eng). For this weekend sorry mate my prediction is SA winning. Thanks for the programme its great watching
Have you actually watched the games this autumn up here in the Northern Hemisphere? Yes, both England games have been entertaining, but the defending by England has been atrocious with at times the opposition looking like they could score a try every time they threw the ball out wide to the backs. You just don't win games without having a solid defence to back up your attacking play, even if you're great going forward.
I agree that England aren't terrible, we're on a level with Argentina I'd say, who are a tough team to play in their own backyard, but I just don't think we have the quality in depth to complete with the Boks or All Blacks unless either we play amazing rugby and put the opposition on the back foot and the opponents have an off day with many handling errors, penalties, and missed kicks.
It will be interesting how it plays out on Saturday but all I know is that England just can't have the same defensive strategy of blitz defence because if we do we'll get cut apart. It will be interesting if England can play the running, attacking rugby they have at times in these two Autumn Internationals and break through the Boks defence to score tries, but I suspect England will play more conservatively and keep the ball with the forwards and try to stifle play, keep things tight.
I think there is a balance between the two that would be better, that's how the best teams play but when their backs are against the wall this isn't generally how England play.
Love your videos and insights SO much Tim. Just a random idea - use it/dont use it - I've always found rating players out of 10, after a rugby or football game, very engaging. For instance, after Manchester United play, myself and many others immediately go to The United Stand youtube channel to see Mark Goldbridge's player ratings. You might be aware of him. I watch him and I dont even consider myself a United fan. He reacts to the game and gives every (United) player a score. I know this channel doesn't focus solely on one team but I just thought the concept might be worth considering. Even though your videos are super compelling as they are right now and actually dont need anything! 😊💪 Also, Mark let's the fans give their live ratings which is awesome, but I suppose operating that requires lots of backend/admin work - too much for a layman like me! 😅 Just thought I'd mention the idea as I'm super invested in this channel and just want to support/see you keep growing amd building so that this can become bigger and bigger. People need to see this awesome content/analysis, youtube needs to pay you lots in the future (😉💪) and the growth of Eggchacers is a win-win for absolutely ALL 🙏 Much Love from JHB, RSA 💚⚡
Love your side.
Will the hybrid contract allow Borthers to suggest to Saints that Freeman is a 13 going forward? I don't think it does, but it should.
I'd go big Trev. It's harsh on him and Cole, but Cole has been struggling against Aus. And the Boks depth scares me.
Maybe Roebuck on the wing if we are going contestables? Being 6 foot 5 has to help with the rule changes.
love that on the bench you have Loz. Much more positive than an out and out FH (as good as our options are).
I get Steward at 15 ( I think I suggested in a comment on an earlier vid). But then I'd have Furbank on the bench.
Roebuck is 6 ft 2inch. And is too slow for international rugby..he's a classy player though.
As I agree with you in part Tim, selection is still the main problem and has a direct influence on mentality and tactics. It's not a coincidence that in the last 2, we lost when the changes were made, you ask is mentality a lack of pitch leadership? But we took our captain off, that's selection. The AB and Oz games were quite different on the pitch, yet we change the half backs at the same time, so that's a pre medatated tactic based on selection. The 6-2 split is selection. Having 3 back rowers who can all cover 8, on the pitch, yet having a specialist 8 on the bench, is selection.
Excellent analysis. I do though think selection is still an issue. Picking Curry and Ford with so little recent rugby/form was too conservative. And continually ignoring young players at the very top of their game including Ted Hill, Tom Willis and Tom Pearson is baffling.
With the new rules on completing for high balls I’d like to see steward back in the mix
He is a class act. Id like to see him on the wing withDaly at 15. He did sterling work in that position before. Go Bokke. Die lyf is hier is SA maar die hart loop saam julle.
@@lenbignellDaly is past it.
No never have Steward , back he turns round like a stranded Tank in a sea of mud and conceded too many tries as wings zoomed past him. He is great under the high ball though I will give him that, maybe if it’s muddy England could pick him
One of your best videos yet, type of vlog I would create if I was a TH-cam sensation! George Ford kicks the penalty or drop goal, they win against NZ, the following week Maro Itoje catches the ball and then doesn't drop it, they win against Australia. Now what do the critics say? However, selection does have an impact, much as NZ's subs didn't pitch mid-year, shifting a fly half to full back is going to have consequences on defence. Awesome attacking fly half and should be left there. Loss of Tom Curry massive, need more replacements like him, bench not able to do the job he did. Mentality comes with the selection, they have to believe they can win. Starters seem to be at the races, reserves not so much. Tactics seem to be pretty good, execution less so, but then that is also 2nd half when they seem gassed so it is mental as well as physical. Springboks got rid of the rust against Scotland and it was a good hit out so I think this could be 2 scores win for them.
Tim, in 2018 the Springboks had a 50% win rate, but every match ghey lost was within a score, then in 2019 it turned around. Have faith, it might just happen this weekend
Crazy the scorecard, so close all the games they have played in 2024 even the semi final last year. They just can’t seem to close the games, you would think after all those matches it would have happened by now, but now losing to Australia it’ll be a hammer blow
English supporters put too much pressure on their teams (rugby and football). Too high Expectations lead to dissapointment. Unjustified "problems" and over reactions. There is nothing wrong with the team...
Hi Tim, you mentioned the mentality of England during the 1st world cup game against Argentina . . . they played with 14 men for over 70 minutes. Backs to the wall attitude , just as though they were losing.
Great point.
You alluded to it Tim, the overarching category is Team Cohesion & Synergy™ (TCS), or not. This is complex and not as simple as it appears at first glance - it's built on four performance domains: the energetic (energy systems of the body, expressed individually & collectively as a group/team), psychological (mental, emotional, & spiritual dimensions, E.g. SA playing for a bigger cause/purpose), physical (skill & ability, and power, speed, agility, explosiveness), and strategic (selections, game plan, strategy, & tactics within the unique conditions of each game), in execution (this is key)😇
LOVE this! Thank you
Unintended consequences ... more access, more box kicks, more knock-ons, more scrums ... What are World Rugby going to do when the Boks choose to take a scrum from a penalty in their own 22 to exhaust the opposition ... ban that too? The other thing that you inferred but I want to tease to the surface is the conditioning level, when you're supremely fit the frontal cortex is free to remain composed, able to see the game rather than the next tackle or chase ... additionally it is apparent that the Bok training sessions are hard, very hard indeed and I'm wondering if this is the modern version of the military maxim "Bloody maneuvers produces bloodless battles" or something in that vein, I know I mangled it a little. Rassie is an inspirational coach, and I'm wondering if Borthwick needs a 'cheerleader' to fill that role for him.
I really like this kit!
Very insightful analysis Tim! I disagree on turning the mentality around being something that can happen quickly. The Rassie story is instructive. He took over the Springboks with their ridiculous endowment of talent at a low point. Yes, he probably brought an immediate change in morale and belief but it took time to reach that All Black level of belief in winning and taking the necessary risks on field. Going deeper, if you look at the team culture, he and the coaching squad mentor youngsters as potential and eventual springboks from school leaving age with a total package of personal support, including getting to know their families. Look at Siya’s story. My point is that a winning mentality doesn’t just come from changing a loosing teams attitude; it is built as a totality of team and individuals relationships. Arguably his off-field investments in people have added an essential extra dimension to the mentality aspect on the field.
Would like to see Dombrandt start at 8. One last big crack of the whip before we decide to keep him or move on. Stellar in the Prem, but he’s not done enough in an England shirt. He had a decent runout last week so I think it’s now or never.
Hill and Underhill on the bench. Tasty
Great analysis, one thing I’d throw into the mix is media / comms, England are clearly on the back foot which is not helping the vibe or confidence. Borthwick is just dreadful and I don’t think that’s recoverable.
Yes Tim when England are in front they try to see the game over the line by bringing on Ford. I’m glad you didn’t put him on the bench because the 5/3 bench you chose is the one I would have liked these past two weeks.
I would 6 - 2 split exactly as you have it, but start Steward with Furbank on the bench. I am hoping and praying for a positive result
I actually love the new laws. Box kicks/Contestible kicks are now more viable, but its now much easier to charge down this kick. Makes the game exciting.