England v South Africa: Freddie Steward on 'incredible' rise
- Published
Steward's try against the Wallabies was his first international score in his fourth Test
England v South Africa |
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Venue: Twickenham Stadium Date: Saturday, 20 November Kick-off: 15:15 GMT |
Coverage: Follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. |
When England last played South Africa, in the Rugby World Cup final of 2019, Freddie Steward was an 18-year-old Academy player who had only recently made his Premiership debut.
Two years later, Steward has started England's last four Tests at full-back with his arrival on the international scene likened to that of Maro Itoje's.
"If you'd have told me when I was watching that game [the final] that the next time England played South Africa I'd be involved I'd have laughed at you," Steward told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"It's been an incredible two years."
After leaving out a handful of regulars for the autumn series, England boss Eddie Jones has dripped in some new blood this month, with the likes of Steward and Marcus Smith rubbing shoulders with modern-day greats such as Owen Farrell and Itoje.
"You come into camp and you're in awe of those guys," Steward said.
"Look at Faz and Maro - they've done incredible things for England.
"There are guys I watched as a kid and suddenly you're sat in the team room chilling with them - it is very strange.
"But it's important not to get too caught up in that aura. I'm here to do a job and we've got to bond as a team."
That combination of old and new was evident in the early stages at Twickenham against Australia last weekend, with Farrell combining with Smith and Steward bursting into the line to score.
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"It was easily the best moment of my life," Steward explained.
"When Marcus put me through that gap I was just thinking 'get to the try-line'. To get over and be swarmed by the lads was just an unbelievable experience."
And with England failing to fire consistently with the ball over the past 18 months, Steward says there has been a "massive attack focus" over the past few weeks as the side looks to re-establish itself after a chastening Six Nations.
"It's something we want to build as new England, this massive, explosive attack," he added.
"That was a little glimpse of what there is to offer and hopefully we see more of that this weekend."
'If I get whacked I get whacked'
Steward made his Premiership debut away to Sale in March 2019
The Springboks are on a roll and provide a set of challenges unlike any other in world rugby.
Not only is their blitz defence devilishly hard to unpick, but there are other non-negotiables when facing the world champions, such as competing at the set-piece, the breakdown, and the aerial battle - where Steward will be under unprecedented scrutiny.
On that note, Steward's fearlessness in the air has set him apart in his short international career, with Jones describing his work under the high ball as "colossal", and "one of the best I've seen".
"I try not to think about anything other than the ball," Steward explained.
"It's not worrying about who's flying in, all it is is the ball and if I get whacked I get whacked. You can only control your own actions. It's about what you can do. Try and get as high as you can and dominate that space.
"It will be a real challenge - they [South Africa] are unbelievable at executing those contestable kicks.
"It's definitely something to be excited about though."