Dylan Hartley: My five-point plan to defeat the Springboks

To make it to the Rugby World Cup final next Saturday, England will need to mentally prepare for physical suffering.

Alter the image

From 2008 to 2018, I represented England against South Africa in eight Test matches, winning the final two. So you could say that I figured out how to beat them bit by bit.

To become a Bok, you have to match their physical attributes and use cunning or other strategies to make them think and act against their will. To take people off guard, you must alter the scene. England needs to have faith in their ability to prevail in this Saturday’s World Cup semifinal, even though it won’t be simple at all.

Scrums – be smart and fast

Being brick shithouses by nature, South Africans are known for their large packs and their enjoyment of shoving others around. To put it briefly, they can afford to be manly.

I’ve heard from former players about a particular coach who chose his pack based primarily on size and strength. So you can forget about playing in his back row unless you are at least 6 feet 4 inches and weigh more than 110 kilograms.

The 2003 World Cup-winning pack was dubbed “white orcs on steroids” by the Kiwi media, and the England pack I was in was always rather large as well.

Throughout my career I was always five to 10 kilos heavier than most other hookers and I think it counted positively for me in selection as weight is critical with scrummaging.

There is not the same bulk in the latest England pack. Without a doubt, they are not tiny, but South Africa prevails in the weigh-in man-to-man. Therefore, England must be astute, play to their advantages, and employ dynamism and pace without running from the impending physical battle.

Here, “speed kills” is my go-to expression—in a good way! South Africa desires a highly regimented game. The fact that England feels most at ease playing this approach may perhaps be the issue here. The two teams actually employ comparable strategies. However, arm wrestling isn’t the ideal strategy if you want to defeat the Boks. The secret to defeating this team will be speed.

In England’s quarterfinal match against Fiji, Owen Farrell added pace; he and his team need to replicate that. In order to counter England’s scrum halves, Alex Mitchell and Danny Care, they must play and get the ball in and out, especially at scrum time.

If you give the Boks something haphazard or unanticipated, they can become irate that the game isn’t proceeding as planned. Because they will be at ease going through a training scenario they have performed a hundred times if you don’t force them to think.

Kicking strategy and the aerial battle

In the thrilling quarterfinal match against France last weekend, South Africa employed contestable kicks to great effect, applying pressure to the French wings. Therefore, you need your top players in the backfield beneath the high ball.

That, in my opinion, made choosing Freddie Steward simple: this weekend had to be dedicated to selecting England’s walking bomb disposal squad. Then England can attempt the same in an offensive.

Kick when it’s appropriate and accurately, and pursue them as if your life depended on it—Jonny May is a phenomenal example of this. It produces 50/50 results, collisions, and disorganized play. Once more, pose questions and present the Boks with an alternative image.

Second-guessing: the battle of wits

In addition to head coach Jacques Nienaber, Rassie Erasmus is the director of rugby for the Boks and a true scholar of the game. When you ask Erasmus why his team had a scrum in their 22 during the France game, he doesn’t duck the question—rather, he fills you in on everything.

They were concerned that they would not receive enough scrums, and they saw nothing positive in settling for a standard mark that every other side would 100% punt upfield or off the field. Suddenly, a call that appears absurd has a purpose and clarity.

Observe also how Damien Willemse made the choice without hesitation; this demonstrates how prepared and on the same page South Africa is.

As a result, Steve Borthwick, the head coach of England, will have had to put in extra hours. He selects teams based on analysis, as we already know, and he will work to deny South Africa those opportunities.

Steve Borthwick worries about a mark turning into a scrum, I doubt he’ll go so far as to order no kicks into the 22, but he will have the scrum tuned in to the prospect — see above! England should ideally be so prepared that they can detect when the opposition is attempting to expose you during a game and adjust accordingly.

The physical battle

I have some of the best players in South Africa as opponents. Victor Matfield, Cobus Reinach, and Heinrich Brussow were my teammates at Northampton, and they were all fantastic men who played hard but were the first to have a beer with the opponents afterward.

They exemplified everything that was great about South African rugby players. Furthermore, every South African you spend any time with will tell you how much they love to despise the English!

In my opinion, South Africa’s version 2023 poses the greatest threat to England since they are so much more than just a physical force. Put on your tin hat and be physical back if they just employ one-out big physical runners.

That’s kind of the easiest part. The physical fight is about to start, and if you don’t stop it, their wings will be scoring in the corner. So put on your shoulder pads and man the f**k up.

Individuals like as Owen Farrell flourish in such tangible setting. Recall his highlight-worthy tackle of Andre Esterhuizen during the 2018 Twickenham match, which we won by a point? Alright, so maybe it was a shoulder charge to some, but let’s not pick fights five years later.

The idea was that Owen physically confronted them, and it’s important to recall that he also stole the ball from Lood de Jager during that particular game. The boys on the England team adored such game-changing moments.

I’m sure the England team this week will be ready for the physical challenge, so you should be prepared to feel it as well as deliver it to South Africa.