Ben Earl has played down any notion of personal score-settling ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener against the Springboks at Ellis Park, insisting that chasing revenge is a mindset that can undermine individual and team performance.
The 51-capped Saracens loose forward was part of the England side that lost the 2023 World Cup semifinal 15-16 and the most recent meeting between the sides, which ended 29-20 to South Africa in 2024. Despite acknowledging the hurt those results left, Earl says the focus inside the England camp is internal.
"They've given me a fair bit of hurt, and I can't deny that," he said. "But the moment you do that, you might not get the best out of yourself. The moment you start playing like that, you start playing a dangerous game."
England arrive in South Africa having finished fifth in this year's Six Nations, winning just once in five matches, though Earl pointed to their final-round performance against France — a 48-46 defeat — as a marker of progress. He was candid about its limitations, noting that conceding 48 points is not a template for winning Test rugby, but sees it as evidence of a team finding cohesion.
"We saw different parts of our game coming together during the Six Nations. There was clarity about how we wanted to play."
On the occasion itself, Earl was unambiguous about the respect England hold for the world's top-ranked side. "We are playing the number one team in the world. Ellis Park is one of those bucket list moments for a lot of us."
The Boks have won four of the last five meetings between the sides, and Rassie Erasmus's squad selection has reinforced their status as clear favourites for Saturday's clash.