Our experts pick their England team to face Springboks

England are hoping to end their losing run on Saturday but, with the world champions South Africa coming to Twickenham, that will be an incredibly challenging assignment.

Telegraph Sport’s rugby experts select the England squads they would like to see face the Springboks.

A return for Freddie Steward at full-back to counter South Africa’s kicking game and the new directive forbidding any escort runners for contestable kicks. England desperately need a win and they can dust down their World Cup semi-final template that brought them so close to reaching the final. It is a tough call on George Furbank, but given England’s fitful attack so far, his influence has been diminished this autumn. Steve Borthwick opted for a similar horses-for-courses approach in the opening two games of last season’s Six Nations against Italy and Wales because of their respective kicking games. Ollie Sleightholme deservedly steps up in place of the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Sam Underhill replaces Tom Curry. Against South Africa, a six-two bench is almost a par selection, so Ben Curry returns.

England are not going to beat South Africa in an arm-wrestle. Their best hope is to play at a tempo that pulls the Springboks firmly out of their comfort zone. Hence Harry Randall replaces Ben Spencer at scrum-half. Neither man has been perfect so far this autumn but Randall’s quicker service might just get England’s attack firing for longer. Spencer and George Ford can then apply the brakes, if required. The other changes are fairly obvious. Sleightholme comes in for Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry is replaced by Underhill, who will be right in his element against the Springboks. England’s bench has failed to have the desired impact so I have mixed things up with Trevor Davison, Alex Coles, Ted Hill and Ben Curry hopefully providing some extra dynamism.

However you configure it, the partnership between Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade has been failing to ignite, with the centres eclipsed in terms of creativity by Australia’s Len Ikitau and Joseph Sua’ali’i. Tommy Freeman has the heft and the skills to take over at 13 against the Springboks, with Elliot Daly taking his place on the wing. Sleightholme’s exhilarating form should cushion the blow of Feyi-Waboso’s absence, while Jack van Poortvliet deserves his chance after Spencer’s poor display in defeat by the Wallabies. More importantly, England’s conspicuous lack of leadership requires decisive action, with Jamie George – not even the best player in his position at the moment – dropping from the 23 and Maro Itoje entrusted with the captaincy at last.

We are not quite pressing the “gamble” button here, but this is a shuffled deck to pose different challenges to the Springboks. There was a serious temptation to bring in Steward given how the new escorting focus is playing out. Instead, I am backing Furbank to become more influential and the rest of the back line to benefit from time together. In truth, there is not much scope to mix things up. Sleightholme and Underhill take over from Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry, respectively, yet the real action is on another six-two bench. I have drafted in Ted Hill to cause havoc, perhaps after Chandler Cunningham-South has emptied the tank with 50 minutes of mayhem. Ben Curry added energy and won a turnover against the All Blacks, too. I would like a heftier lock than Alex Coles on the bench, because the scrum will be pivotal in the second half. However, there are not too many of those on these shores. Somehow, England have to grit their teeth and hold firm at the set-piece as South Africa’s power surge comes on.

That’s right, it is an English 7-1. There’s every chance South Africa go for it again given their short turnaround and having rested half the pack with 35 minutes left at Murrayfield, so maybe it is time for England to do the same. Sure, if a few injuries hit in the backs then things will get a bit funky, but England love Ben Earl as a centre anyway, having tried it as recently as late on against New Zealand. England have a ton of issues to work through, especially a defence which looks muddled with players switching between systems, but to try to stay in the fight against South Africa they have to front up physically and then take their chances. Scotland did the first part but not the latter. Fun to see Sleightholme get a first Test start and Underhill’s omission always felt a little odd.

There was a part of me that wanted, to quote Edwyn Collins, to rip it up and start again, but I am not sure the low possibility of reward is worth such high risk. But the team does need change. The captain simply is not one, and in any event a skipper has to be absolutely the best in his position; as it stands, George is not. The scrum needs shoring up so in come Luke Cowan-Dickie and Trevor Davison. There is more firepower and versatility on the bench with the arrivals of Coles, Hill and Ben Curry while Van Poortvliet starts in a bid to bring some zip – while keeping box-kicking accuracy. In truth, I think this team needs more robust ball-carriers but I am just not sure there is any value in chucking someone – Tom Willis, perhaps? – in at the deep end when they have not featured in a match-day 23 this autumn.