England vs South Africa

Click on any stream link below to watch the game

 Click on any link in the table above to watch the game.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The second semi-final of the enthralling 2023 Rugby World Cup is set to take place this weekend as England faces off against South Africa at Stade de France, with a packed stadium expected on Saturday evening.

South Africa is on track for consecutive World Cup titles following their incredible victory over France last week, while England earned their spot in the final four by defeating the Flying Fijians.

Surprisingly, England stands as the only unbeaten team among the World Cup semi-finalists, having clinched the top spot in Pool D over Argentina and winning all four of their matches.

During the pool stages, the Red Roses showcased their dominance by securing a convincing 27-10 win over Argentina in their opening game, followed by successful triumphs against Japan and Chile. However, they faced a tougher challenge in a narrow 18-17 victory over Samoa in their final group-stage match.

Last week, Steve Borthwick's team managed to narrowly defeat Fiji 30-24, with Owen Farrell playing a crucial role in securing a 27-24 lead with a drop-goal eight minutes before the end and further extending the margin with a crucial penalty in the 78th minute.

This sets the stage for England to seek redemption for their loss to South Africa in the 2019 final. While they have evolved since then, England has shown a knack for doing just enough to progress in this competition, though they face a formidable challenge from the hard-hitting Springboks.

The England squad announced by Borthwick for the match on Saturday includes the addition of Joe Marler and George Martin to the pack as well as the return of fullback Freddie Steward to the starting lineup.

As a result, Marcus Smith, who started at fullback against Fiji, is not in the team owing to a proven head injury, as reported by Borthwick. Instead, Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum move to the bench.

Danny Care, George Ford, and Ollie Lawrence will serve as the backup options for the backs off the bench due to Smith's absence even among the substitutes.

The initial quarter-final match last weekend was widely regarded as the standout game of the competition. However, that all changed when France and South Africa clashed 24 hours later, which may very well be remembered as one of the greatest World Cup matches ever.

In a highly charged game, both teams relentlessly gave their all, and even though Les Bleus held the lead for most of the 80 minutes, South Africa's determination remained unshakeable, ultimately resulting in a 29-28 victory.

Eben Etzebeth made a powerful late surge in the 67th minute to score a crucial try, tipping the scales in favor of the Springboks. Handre Pollard then extended South Africa's lead by four points with a long-range penalty.

Now, perched at the top of the world rankings, the Springboks are the clear favorites to win the Webb Ellis Cup. The most noticeable difference between these two teams is their physicality.

While this week's upcoming match is expected to be somewhat less intense, it's an area where South Africa has historically encountered challenges. They'll need a stronger start than last week to thwart any English ambitions before asserting control and pulling away in the second half.

England and South Africa have a well-established history at the Rugby World Cup, having faced each other on five previous occasions in the tournament. South Africa emerged victorious in four of these encounters, with England winning just one. Their most recent meetings in the 2007 and 2019 finals left painful memories for England fans, with Mark Cueto's foot touching the touchline in 2007 and Cheslin Kolbe causing havoc in Yokohama in 2019. Notably, a significant number of players from both teams participated in the 2019 final, with 28 out of the 46 players having prior experience in that big match.

England's sole Rugby World Cup victory against South Africa occurred during their successful 2003 campaign, marking the only time they managed to score a try against the South African team in the competition.

South Africa once again finds themselves in top form as they approach this game, following an impressive victory over the host nation, France. On the other hand, England has surprisingly encountered relatively smooth sailing to reach the semi-final stage, remaining the sole undefeated team in the competition.

While the statistics heavily favor the Springboks, with our win predictor giving them an 82% chance of victory, it's worth noting that just four years ago, England delivered one of their most remarkable performances to defeat the All Blacks at this very stage, proving that underdog status can bring its own set of challenges.

South Africa has displayed remarkable efficiency in their offensive strategies this year. Despite not ranking in the top five teams at the World Cup for either creating line breaks or entering the attacking 22, they stand out as the only team to convert more than half of their breaks into tries. They also hold the second position in terms of points scored per entry into the opponent's 22, with an average of 3.3 points.

Their opportunistic approach is evident in how they capitalize on their opponent's mistakes, having scored a total of nine tries directly following turnovers, which is at least four more than any other nation.

Their strength isn't limited to attacking; South Africa's defense has been equally robust. They have defended their try-line with the same intensity they've shown in their offensive efforts, allowing just an average of 1.2 points per defensive entry into their own 22. In total, they have conceded a mere seven tries, a number only surpassed by the English squad, who have conceded six.

Both South Africa and England have exhibited a high level of discipline throughout the tournament, conceding only 8.0 and 8.6 penalties per game, respectively. These averages are better than those of all but two other teams. Furthermore, each side has received only one card so far.