If you or I were asked to scrum against South Africa at Twickenham, the sane response would be a polite ‘no thank you’. The Springbok scrum has become one of the most dominant forces in sport – just ask England after the last two Rugby World Cups – and defines South Africa not just as a team,

There’s been no let-up from the Springboks since repeating as rugby’s world champions. They’ve had 11 test matches since lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy on that rain-soaked night in Paris a year ago and the Boks have won nine of them and lost the other two by a point.

South Africa’s rotation policy is part of a bigger picture with their 2027 World Cup defence in mind, according to captain Siya Kolisi as he prepares to face England at Twickenham on Saturday.