Rassie warns fans England are ‘the real thing’ after 12 straight wins

By Dylan Bettencourt

• England thrashed Wales 48-7 on Saturday and face the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 4 July this year.

• Erasmus said England have grunt, power and flair and named Tom Curry, Maro Itoje and Marcus Smith as big threats.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has warned that England are dangerous opponents.

England have won 12 Tests in a row. Their latest win was 48-7 against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

They face the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 4 July.

Erasmus said England are world class. “England are the real thing now,” he said.

He singled out several England players as threats.

“Tom Curry is a tough player, and Maro Itoje will always disrupt your play,” Erasmus said. “Tommy Freeman, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith are big threats at the back.”

He said England have the right balance.

“I just think they’ve got a nice balance. There is grunt and power and flair. They’re impressive,” he said.

Erasmus compared England to Northampton, the club side that shocked everyone.

“I remember Jake White going into their changing room after they beat the Bulls a few years ago and saying they were a team that was going to go on to big things, which they did, as they beat Leinster to make the Champions Cup final,” he said.

“There’s definitely something special happening with England. Their record speaks for itself. They are on a winning spree and that is impressive.”

England still have the Six Nations to play before South Africa. Erasmus thinks they might lose before then.

But he remembers chasing a winning record with the Boks in 1998.

“I remember being part of a Bok team going for a record under Nick Mallett in 1998. We lost out on the record by losing at Twickenham in the last game of that year,” he said.

Erasmus said England could spring tactical surprises.

“They might find something different. They might go with four forwards and four backs, and then I might look at that and think, ‘That might work,'” he said.

“We’re all stealing from each other and learning from each other. None of us has all the answers.”

The Boks face New Zealand in four Tests after England. Erasmus said that will be brutal.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead, but we will have a squad of about 35 players and we will have to use the players intelligently,” he said. “It is going to be a huge challenge, very tough playing four games in four weeks.”

Pictured above: Springboks taking on England.

Image source: SA Rugby