Players to Watch: South Africa v England
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South Africa and England clash at Ellis Park this weekend in what is an important test for both nations' coaches.
Eddie Jones will be feeling the pressure following a disappointing Six Nations campaign, while Rassie Erasmus will be looking to claim his first win as Springbok coach.
Here are our picks of the players to keep an eye on in the clash.
Siya Kolisi
Kolisi will lead the Boks for the first time against England and will be looking to re-kindle his 2017 form after failing to perform to his high standards during the 2018 Super Rugby season.
The inspirational leader has a knack for rising to the occasion and expect nothing different against England.
The busy flanker will do anything required of him and will adapt his game to the conditions.
Elliot Daly
The extremely talented Wasps utility back will start at fullback for England having spent most of his test career on the wing.
Daly's massive boot will be a real asset on the Highveld as too will his speed and his clever running lines.
Faf de Klerk
De Klerk will look to hit the restart button on his test career after a stellar debut season with Sale Sharks.
The former Lion returns to his former stomping ground stating that he is more of a complete player and will want to show the Lions faithful what they are missing.
The lively halfback will keep the England defence guessing throughout the game and will provide the Boks with front foot ball on attack.
Billy Vunipola
The physical no.8 will want to impose himself on his return to the test side.
The 25-year-old has been unfortunate with injuries lately but has the skill set to be one of the finest no.8's in the world.
His big hits and strong carries will keep the Springboks honest on Saturday.
Aphiwe Dyantyi
It's still early days in Aphiwe Dyantyi's professional career but the Springboks may have finally found the heir to Bryan Habana.
The Lions flyer has enjoyed a stellar start to his Super Rugby career scoring a number of fantastic tries in the opening rounds of the competition.
The 23-year-old is a lethal finisher and is strong defensively having spent a lot of time in the centres.
Dyantyi has a deadly step and blistering speed and will be a difficult customer for Jonny May to deal with.
That step 🔥
— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) February 24, 2018
Another brilliant try by Aphiwe Dyantyi for @LionsRugbyCo against the @JaguaresARG #SSRugby pic.twitter.com/3lRU91SGk3
Nick Isiekwe
The Saracens second rower will make his first test start against the Springboks and heads into the match after a strong season with Saracens.
Jones' has thrown Isiekwe into the deep end with the Springboks boasting a notoriously powerful pack even without the likes of Malcolm Marx, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager.
Isiekwe is expected to play a full 80 minutes against the Boks with no specialist lock on the bench.
