As usual, it’s about scrums and physicality for Boks against England

The Springboks' demolition of England's scrum paved the way for their success in the final of the Rugby World Cup four years ago and it is an area that will invite much scrutiny when the teams clash in the semifinals on Saturday.

England lost tighthead Kyle Sinckler early in the final in Yokohama but the Boks needed no second invitation to wrest the initiative in the set piece.

Six scrum penalties gave the Boks the traction they needed to peg England on the back foot and it is a position they would not relinquish en route to a third World Cup title.

“Four years ago was a good day for us but that’s in the past,” recalled Bok tighthead Frans Malherbe in his typically understated baritone ahead of Saturday's matchup at Stade de France (9pm).

“Scrumming for me is the primary job and a very important part of the game so hopefully it works out well for us.”

To be fair to Malherbe it is his scrumming that does the talking. If England had named their team by the time the media got to grips with him, Malherbe might have been pressed to comment on the fact that the Red Roses have included four of the six front-rankers who did duty in the final in Yokohama.

Malherbe, though, needs no reminding that failure can provide a timely kick up the backside. He was, after all, part of the Springbok team that got pipped by New Zealand in the semifinal in 2015. It stings, and as Handré Pollard pointed out about that defeat “it stays with you for the rest of your life.”

“The three of us were about 24 at that time and it was a disappointing game to fall out of the World Cup,” said Malherbe, flanked by Eben Etzebeth and Damian de Allende. “It was a building experience learning from that.”

In fact, the Boks have arrived at the conclusion England are a team on the improve and cannot be compared to the one they beat when they were still under the command of Eddie Jones last November.

“England went into the previous World Cup semifinal against New Zealand probably being the underdog,” Bok coach Jacques Nienaber reminded. “The reality is we’re facing a good England side.

“We don’t look at history but we know that, from where we were in 2019, any team can beat any team on the day. This game is not bigger than the game against France [the Boks' quarterfinal win on Sunday] and it’s not bigger than the World Cup final. If you lose this game, you are out, so there is everything to gain.”

England, however, apart from displaying technical excellence in the set pieces will have to front up physically. It is an area in which they were found wanting four years ago. The Red Roses wilted then and though there are questions about how battle ready the Boks are after their most recent excesses, Nienaber has little concern.

His team after all, are rather used to throwing their bodies about. The more they do it the better they get at it.

“Physicality is like any conditioning component,” said Nienaber. “You have to get used to it. You have to condition yourself for it.

“From that point of view it put us up nicely for the game against France. Of course that game was physical. Got nice stimulus from physical point of view.”

That is not what England want to hear.