ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA:ENGLAND'S TWO surviving forwards from last year's World Cup final defeat by South Africa are both promising to redress the balance when the countries meet again at Twickenham this afternoon.
To say Phil Vickery and Nick Easter are keen to atone for England's 15-6 defeat in Paris would be a massive understatement, with Vickery still insistent the Springboks were somewhat fortunate to walk away with the Webb Ellis Cup.
"I think it could have been won but we'd probably played too many 'finals' already," said Vickery. "In fairness to South Africa they stuck to their game plan and, at times, produced some pretty good rugby. But we just made too many mistakes."
Vickery, who also reveals in today's Twickenham match programme that he enjoyed the 2007 World Cup experience more than the 2003 tournament, had already secured a winner's medal four years earlier but his team-mate Easter acknowledged yesterday his own frustration had yet to fade.
"There is a sense of regret. As Rob Andrew afterwards, you never get over it. We've now got a chance to play the world champions in our backyard and put one over on them. They only really come over for one game and it's us."
Coach Martin Johnson has sat his team down this week to watch clips from the final which underline the importance of discipline. "We highlighted a few areas from that game," said Johnson, "and one of them was penalties. A few indisciplined penalties early in that game really cost that England team. They gave South Africa nine points which proved to be the difference in the end."
Aside from Vickery and Easter, the only other member of the England XV from the 2007 final in today's starting line-up is the winger Paul Sackey, one of eight Wasps on the team-sheet with another colleague - Simon Shaw - among the replacements.
If Shaw comes on, he will win his 50th cap and ensure the club equal Leicester's all-time record of nine players from one club winning England caps on the same day.
In particular, Johnson is challenging Danny Cipriani to prove he can run a Test match and put last week's 28-14 defeat by Australia behind him. "He's 21 years old and he has to deal with these situations. It's the first time he's been in a series of this intensity, with people speculating about him. People want instant superstars and results, and there's a massive expectation on him."
Cipriani, who has raised eyebrows by continuing to seek goalkicking tuition at squad sessions from England's erstwhile kicking guru Dave Alred rather than the official kicking coach Jon Callard, will need to be on-song with the boot in what could be a tight game.
Barring a big win for Argentina over Ireland, victory would assure England of a top-four place in the IRB world rankings. South Africa's outstanding locks, not to mention their powerful loose-forward trio, will have other ideas, but England are the fresher side and do not lack for motivation.
Guardian Service
