Jonny May's take on Saturday's Ellis Park Test cuts to the heart of what England face — and what they need to do about it. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, May describes the Boks as deliberate bullies who seek physical and psychological dominance from the first whistle, citing the Mbonambi-Curry incident as a recent, pointed example. His argument isn't that this is a flaw — it's that it's a feature, and England need to accept it's coming and match it. May's own prescription, drawn from the 2023 World Cup semi-final, is that England's best results against South Africa have come when they've absorbed the physical pressure and got under the Boks' skin in return — winding them up, out-energising them, targeting key figures. He points to the 2016 Twickenham win and Eddie Jones's explicit instruction to target Etzebeth as evidence that England have, historically, been willing to play that game. The clear implication is that Borthwick's side — coming off a poor Six Nations — need to rediscover that combative edge to have any chance in Johannesburg.
Jonny May: England must bully the bullies at Ellis Park
Jonny May argues England's best weapon against the Boks has always been matching their physical aggression and getting under their skin — and says they'll need to find that edge again at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Nché injury concern headlining Bok casualty list ahead of Scotland clash at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus is sweating over the fitness of Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and André Esterhuizen ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus, after all four picked up injuries during or before the 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Nations Championship Round 1: Boks set the benchmark, Japan turn heads
Louw's Nations Championship round-one review crowns the Boks as the weekend's benchmark-setters and flags Japan's Italy upset as the competition's first real surprise — while taking aim at the scheduling call that denies Japan a home fixture against Ireland.
The Northampton blueprint: England's altitude cheat code for Ellis Park?
The piece asks whether Northampton and Bristol's recent Loftus wins give England a replicable blueprint for Ellis Park — and with six Saints players likely starting, Borthwick's side may be banking on exactly that altitude formula.
Watson: Kolbe is England's biggest headache — but Bok versatility is the real danger
Watson names Kolbe as England's biggest individual concern but argues the Boks' real edge is their ability to change tactical identity based on which fly-half starts — a flexibility that makes them uniquely hard to prepare for.