England and South Africa have named their teams for Saturday’s 2019 Rugby World Cup final at the Yokohama Stadium.
Eddie Jones has named an unchanged starting XV from the side which brilliantly dispatched the All Blacks in the semi-final. This means that Jones will continue with the 10-12 partnership of George Ford and Owen Farrell.
There is a change on the bench, however. Ben Spencer is set for his first Rugby World Cup appearance after he was called up to the squad late due to the injury picked up by Willi Heinz in the win over the All Blacks.
“It has been a good week, the players have been together a while now so it’s less about the volume of training this week, it’s more about sharpening the sword,” Jones said.
“South Africa are a difficult opponent and we are going to have to fight really hard to win. We know the physical part of the game is going to be important and the players will go into this game well prepared knowing how we want to play. We will go and play with no fear.
“South Africa will probably play a similar type of game they have played all tournament so we need be good in the arm wrestle and when we have the opportunities to break the game up, we are then confident and composed enough to take them.”
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Rassie Erasmus meanwhile has mostly stuck to the tried and tested method which secured a narrow win over Wales last weekend.
There is just one change in the matchday 23 and that is Cheslin Kolbe. The Toulouse winger missed the semi-final with Wales but he now takes his place on the right wing as S’Busiso Nkosi drops out of the matchday 23 entirely.
England Team v South Africa
1. Mako Vunipola
2. Jamie George
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Maro Itoje
5. Courtney Lawes
6. Tom Curry
7. Sam Underhill
8. Billy Vunipola
9. Ben Youngs
10. George Ford
11. Jonny May
12. Owen Farrell (captain)
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Anthony Watson
15. Elliot Daly
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie
17. Joe Marler
18. Dan Cole
19. George Kruis
20. Mark Wilson
21. Ben Spencer
22. Henry Slade
23. Jonathan Joseph
South Africa Team v England
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Mbongeni Mbonambi
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Lood de Jager
6. Siya Kolisi (captain)
7. Pieter-Steph Du Toit
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Faf de Klerk
10. Handre Pollard
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. Damian de Allende
13. Lukhanyo Am
14. Cheslin Kolbe
15. Willie Le Roux
16. Malcolm Marx
17. Steven Kitshoff
18. Vincent Koch
19. RG Snyman
20. Franco Mostert
21. Francois Louw
22. Herschel Jantjies
23. Frans Steyn
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