Robert Kitson frames Saturday's Nations Championship Test at Ellis Park as arguably England's steepest hill to climb in years — Itoje absent, altitude biting, and a 54-year winless record at the venue staring them down. The piece assesses whether George Martin's return and Joe Heyes' recent form can give England the forward grunt they need to make any of their pre-tour confidence mean something against the world champions. The underlying question is whether this England group has the physical and psychological hardness to compete in the environment the Boks make Ellis Park, not just on paper.
AnalysisSpringboksThe Guardian Rugby
England's Ellis Park problem: tough talk needs tough men to back it up
Kitson makes the case that England's trip to Ellis Park — without Itoje, at altitude, against back-to-back world champions — may be the toughest assignment English rugby has faced in some time, and asks whether Martin and Heyes can provide enough up front to make the result competitive.
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