Rassie Erasmus ramps up pressure on Steve Borthwick by making mischief again as England look to avoid a fifth straight defeat by the Springboks

The fun and games began hours before Steve Borthwick announced his team to face the Springboks.

‘Freddie Steward will play at full-back… definitely,’ said Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby.

His prediction was spot-on – and laced with a knowing mischief.

Steward, the safe-as-houses man at the back, has barely featured for England this year, with the silky-skilled, ball-playing George Furbank taking over his No 15 jersey.

It has been the most symbolic change in Borthwick’s efforts to revolutionise his attack and Erasmus’ implication was that it was the decision of a man under pressure.

‘When you lose two games, even if it’s by a point or last-minute try, the pressure does start to build,’ added Erasmus, who is hoping to inflict a fifth straight defeat on England.

Rassie Erasmus was quick to start the mind games in his own team announcement conference

Steve Borthwick’s side come into the clash looking to avoid a fifth successive defeat by South Africa

Freddie Steward returns at full back; a move Erasmus predicted his under-pressure opposite number would make

‘I’ve been there and I certainly know how quickly that can get to you and then one normally falls back on to what works for you. I think they’ve been successful like that in the past, so we very much expect them to try and squeeze us with the kicking game.

‘We have been on that side. Two or three years ago, it was almost four on the trot. It depends on the men in the room, the management, depends on your CEO they can make you feel like you have got a gun against your head.

‘If you put pressure on coaches it is not nice and you tend to make an emotional decision. It think Steve is too smart to do that, sometimes you try to please them a bit but I don’t think he is that kind of man. Hopefully the environment around is for him to believe in what he is doing.’

Steward’s selection was one of four changes to England’s starting XV. Jack van Poortvliet has been selected ahead of Ben Spencer at scrum-half, while flanker Sam Underhill and winger Ollie Sleighthome replaced the injured Tom Curry and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Borthwick’s rationale for the change was simple. South Africa kick the ball more than any team in the world. World Rugby’s clampdown on defensive escorts has turned the aerial battleground into the wild west and Steward is the game’s best diffuser of high bombs.

‘Freddie’s attitude has been brilliant and the team that kicks more contestable kicks than anybody in the world is South Africa,’ said England’s head coach. ‘Everything shows they’re head and shoulders above everybody in terms of the number of times they kick contestable.

‘Fred’s clearly got a super strength there so that has a factor to it. That is certainly going to be a core part of the contest against South Africa because of how many times they kick that way. I see the game only going that way now – more kicks, more contestable kicks with his law implication. I think Furbs has done really well in these first couple of games. He took a couple of bangs last weekend and I felt it was time to take a change for this one.’

Pressure was not a word that came out of Borthwick’s mouth once as he previewed his team’s upcoming fixture against the world champions. England’s narrow defeat by the Springboks in the World Cup semi-final was a blueprint performance and Borthwick is confident his team are on the right track despite after a run of narrow defeats.

Borthwick will be hoping Steward can diffuse the constant aerial bombardment the Springboks often employ

Steward replacing George Furbank (pictured) is one of four changes made by Borthwick

‘This group of players is really determined to go out and, and take our game on against South Africa,’ said Borthwick. ‘In that semi-final – and we talked about this – there were chances that we did not take in a very tight game. What we’ve developed and what we’ve certainly been improving upon, is taking our chances when they’re there, for us to go on and actually being able to create more chances.’

Asked about the team’s autumn results, he added: ‘I stood up in front of the team at the start of this week and said there are a couple of little things…the ball goes six inches the other way. We have seen it, with two different results, everyone is talking this team up as having a very, very good autumn. But we haven’t. The ball’s not gone our way, the language outside is a different language.

‘It is one of my strengths that I just focus and compartmentalise pretty well. My job is to coach this team, I love coaching this team, I am loyal to this group of players, and we’ve got to do things better than what we have.’

In a sharp contrast of moods, Erasmus has already discovered the winning formula. Even his prediction in the press conference felt like a miniature victory but, as both coaches know, the result on Saturday is the only one that matters this week.