South Africa will roll out the biggest pack in the world at Twickenham on Saturday in an attempt to blunt England's adventurous instincts and save their coach Harry Viljoen from the critical mauling that would await him if the Springboks return home having lost both major Tests on their end-of-year tour.

Weighing in at an average of almost 18 stone, nearly a stone a man heavier than their England counterparts, the South Africans are not built for pussy-footing. Viljoen conceded that route one might well prove this side's preferred option.

"We're trying to play the game according to the talent and strengths we have in the team," agreed the coach, who has made only one change from last week's 54-26 win over Italy in Genoa with the vastly experienced Mark Andrews returning at lock and AJ Venter switching to the blindside flank in place of the 21-year-old Joe van Niekerk.

"I believe there is mobility in this pack as well as an ability to meet the physical demands of playing a pack like England's," added Viljoen.

The front-rowers John Smit and Willie Meyer were on the bench for this month's 20-10 defeat against France and have been chosen to start alongside Ollie le Roux for only three games, all of which the Springboks have won.

Brute force alone, of course, is no guarantee of victory in the forward battle but Viljoen, in charge of a side who have won only four of their nine Tests this year, needs something to lean on as he fights to extend his publicly expressed mission to "change the whole culture of Springbok rugby".

"Winning won't make us world champions but it'll buy us some time," he said yesterday. "If we don't win, I don't know what is going to happen next year."

One man with a better idea than most is his predecessor Nick Mallett, who describes Saturday's encounter as a "must-win game" for the Springboks and expressed reservations yesterday as to whether "bludgeoning forwards and pedantic backs" will make South Africa competitive at the 2003 World Cup.

"Having turned their backs on youth and flair and picked players who clearly won't be around in 2003, the selectors and management must accept responsibility and criticism for any losses on this tour," said Mallett on planet-rugby.com. "Any rational supporter has a right to be irritated by two losses given the wasted opportunity of blooding young players this tour offered."

There are some who believe Viljoen should have picked Percy Montgomery at full back ahead of Conrad Jantjes, even if a glance at the latter's CV suggests he is little short of a superman. The 21-year-old from Boksburg has represented South African schools at cricket, soccer and rugby, played provincial one-day cricket for Easterns at 17 and, just for good measure, was a member of the South African Under-23 soccer training squad.

His rugby form has dipped slightly since his Test debut this year but, as he pointed out yesterday: "I can't go forward if the team's not going forward."

A personable character, he suggests the Springboks need to show "smarter aggression", which sounds a polite way of saying big is not necessarily beautiful.

Breyton Paulse has been included despite missing training on Monday and Tuesday and Joost van der Westhuizen will be playing his 100th match for the Springboks when he trots out to win his 78th cap on Saturday.

New Zealand, meanwhile, have predictably named an unchanged team to face Scotland at Murrayfield after last weekend's spectacular 40-29 win over Ireland in Dublin.

Elsewhere, Gerald Merceron and Christophe Dominici return to the France fold after being named in the starting line-up to face Fiji in Saint-Etienne on Saturday.

Merceron has recovered from a thigh strain which kept him out of last Saturday's 14-13 win over Australia and regains his place at outhalf ahead of Frederic Michalak. Dominici comes in to replace Aurelien Rougerie on the wing.

SOUTH AFRICA (v England, Saturday): Jantjes (Lions); Paulse (W Province), Halstead (Natal Sharks), Van Straaten (W Province), Hall (Lions); Koen (Lions), Van der Westhuizen (Blue Bulls); Le Roux (Natal), Smit (Natal), Meyer (Lions), Matfield (Blue Bulls), Andrews (Natal), Vos (Lions), AJ Venter (Natal), Skinstad (W Province, capt). Replacements: Van Biljon (Natal), Visagie (W Province), Krige (W Province), A Venter (Free State), De Kock (W Province), Snyman (Natal), Montgomery (W Province).

NEW ZEALAND (v Scotland, Saturday): MacDonald (Canterbury); Howlett (Auckland), Umaga (Wellington), A Mauger (Canterbury), Lomu (Wellington); Mehrtens (Canterbury), Kelleher (Otago); Feek (Canterbury), Oliver (Otago, capt), Somerville, Jack, Maxwell, Thorne, McCaw, Robertson (all Canterbury). Replacements: Willis (Otago), Hewett (Canterbury), Waller (Wellington), Holah (Waikato), Robinson (North Harbour), Blair, Ralph (both Canterbury).

FRANCE (v Fiji, Saturday): C Poitrenaud (Stade Toulousain), D Bory (Montferrand), T Marsh (Montferrand), D Traille (Pau), C Dominici (Stade Francais), G Merceron (Montferrand), F Galthie (Stade Francais, cap.), O Magne (Montferrand), P Tabacco (Stade Francais), S Betsen (Biarritz), T Privat (Beziers), D Auradou (Stade Francais), P De Villiers (Stade Francais), Rafael Ibanez (Castres), Jean-Jacques Crenca (Agen) Replacements: Y Bru (Stade Toulousain), J-B Poux (Narbonne), L Nallet (Bourgoin), S Chabal (Bourgoin), F Michalak (Stade Toulousain), N Jeanjean (Stade Toulousain), A Rougerie (Montferrand).