South Africa v England: Henry Pollock is public enemy No 1 as Steve Borthwick's men face seismic challenge at altitude
England facing formidable opponents at a fortress like home stadium at high altitude is a theme this weekend.
While Thomas Tuchel’s footballers tackle Mexico at 7,220 feet high in the Azteca Stadium with their World Cup fate on the line, Steve Borthwick’s union men visit more familiar foes, but no less daunting, in world champions South Africa at Ellis Park, at a slightly less overbearing 5,750 feet above sea level.
It is a mouthwatering game on the opening weekend of the newly-revamped Nations Championship which takes place over the next three weekends and three more in November.
While Tuchel’s men head to Mexico with barely any preparation but boasting a four-game unbeaten run in football’s World Cup, Borthwick has had more time to get his men primed for the altitude test as they look to change their own four game run: a losing one.
Ellis Park is, and always has presented, a demanding conditioning challenge.
Under Eddie Jones in 2018, England misjudged their preparation and despite racing into a 24-3 lead in the opening 18 minutes, hit the wall, ran out of gas and eventually lost 42-39.
This time they are better prepared. Borthwick’s men arrived in Johannesburg 10 days before their clash with South Africa and before setting off completed gruelling Wattbike sessions while wearing oxygen-restricting altitude training masks.
With the altitude set to cause no surprises then, attention moves to the pitch where England are a shell of the promise they were showing a year ago having lost four out of five in a record-worst Six Nations campaign.
Heading to the home of the back-to-back World Cup winners of 2019 and 2023 is hardly an opportune opening assignment.
Borthwick may have avoided the sack in the post-Six Nations review but he needs a performance in Johannesburg – not necessarily a result given the challenge – to convince sceptics internally and externally that he remains the man to right the ship with the next World Cup just 15 months away now. To put into context the challenge that lies ahead, victory at Ellis Park has been managed just once before by an England side when John Pullin’s heavy underdogs won 18-9 in 1972.
What could work in their favour is ring-rust for the Springboks, who haven’t played yet in 2026, but boss Rassie Erasmus has attempted to counter that by picking a fully-loaded team led by Siya Kolisi and including the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe.
England’s best-known weapon has been left on the bench – Henry Pollock. The young flanker’s reputation in South Africa was made clear when he was approached at England’s team hotel by a Congolese man and told ‘you’re Public Enemy number one!’.
Just 10 caps and one start into his Test career and across the world the flamboyant 21-year-old is the player fans love to hate.
When he steps off the bench he can expect a brutal welcome from the giant Springboks forwards that would delight Ellis Park.
Borthwick said: “Over the last couple of years as Henry Pollock has emerged he’s faced challenges, especially in European rugby.
“Teams see what he gives to his own team and they want to try and nullify that. I’ve seen that over and over, yet Henry Pollock just always seems to shine and thrive – with a smile on his face.
“We want more personalities like that. We want more people playing rugby in that way, smiling like that. He’s a wonderful character and we love having him in our squad.”
Borthwick delayed naming his team until Thursday because of sickness and a number of fitness issues, but the 23 to take on the Springboks provided few surprises, with the big calls taking place behind the scrum.
Jack van Poortvliet edges Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer to start at scrum-half, partnering Fin Smith at half-back, while the experiment of playing Tommy Freeman at outside continues even though his rookie midfield partnership with Seb Atkinson takes on the formidable ’Bok pairing Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
It is a brave call by England’s head coach, who has chosen a world class wing at 13 while overlooking the experienced and in-form Henry Slade. By Saturday night Borthwick will have a better idea of whether his Freeman experiment has a long-term future.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Cadan Murley fill the wings and Borthwick revealed Ollie Chessum is set to captain England if Jamie George leaves the field early.
There are other seismic clashes on the opening weekend of the new Nations Championship – New Zealand v France, Australia v Ireland – but this heavyweight clash in the thin air of Ellis Park tops the lot.