England v South Africa - Three key contests

In Saturday’s second semi-final at Stade de France, England and South Africa both feature at this stage for a sixth time, the Red Rose having won four of their five previous semi-finals and the Springboks three – each time South Africa having gone on to take the title.

Maro Itoje and Eben Etzebeth are both totemic figures at the heart of their country’s packs and this will be the eighth time they have faced each other, including three British and Irish tests in 2021. With England it is two wins apiece, with Etzebeth helping the Springboks edge the Lions series 2-1.

Both are masters at applying pressure on the opposition’s lineout as well as creating turnover opportunities on the ground with their tackling, Etzebeth shining at this RWC with seven dominant tackles and Itoje claiming three breakdown steals.

Equally important to each team will be their inside centres, both powerful ball-carriers charged with getting over the gainline and injecting momentum into attacks.

Manu Tuilagi burst onto the scene just before RWC 2011 and scored nine tries in his first 17 tests, but missed RWC 2015 as a series of injuries restricted his England outings. He returned in time to help them to the final in 2019 and remains a key presence at his third RWC.

Damian de Allende, a year younger at 31, has also proved himself a man for the big occasion at his third RWC tournament. The Springboks centre scored a crucial try in the quarter-final victory over France and has beaten more defenders (14) than any other South Africa player.

A key feature of this second semi-final is likely to be the lineout battle, where hookers Jamie George and Mbongeni Mbonambi will hope their ‘arrows’ hit their targets despite severe opposition pressure.

George, 32, has reassumed the mantle of England’s premier hooker in the absence of the injured Luke Cowan-Dickie and been a model of consistency in the set-pieces, hitting 88 per cent of his lineouts and 100 per cent when England have been close to the opposition line.

It is testament to the faith South Africa’s coaches have in Mbonambi that when Malcolm Marx was forced home with a knee injury after their opening game against Scotland, they didn’t feel the need to bring in another frontline hooker.

The durable Mbonambi, also 32, played 64 minutes in the pool match against Ireland and was involved until the last five minutes in the epic quarter-final against France.