England have lost each of their last four Test matches, which is their worst run since losing five straight games under Eddie Jones in 2018.

Despite his side's poor form, the Rugby Football Union made clear it backed the Australian after England's second Test defeat by South Africa in the summer of 2018.

Jones ended up making the World Cup final in 2019, losing to the Springboks in the final.

However, the wheels did come off in 2022 and he was replaced by Borthwick, who currently retains the full support of the RFU.

Will defeat by the Boks mean a World Cup final in 2027?

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On Wednesday, assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth revealed the England coaches had not been in contact with former defence coach Felix Jones.

Jones, who was part of the South Africa set-up for the past two World Cups, quit the England set-up in August, but is serving his notice period by providing remote analysis, according to the RFU.

"I believe he is working with us behind the scenes, but we have not been in touch with him personally," Wigglesworth said.

Seems like he would have been perfect for South Africa week for some analysis, no?

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Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

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Spotted sauntering towards the hospitality tables well before kick-off, was a highly-regarded coach, a specialist in defence, who has led his team on an unprecedented run of domination in the international game.

Don't hold the back page though. It was John Mitchell, head coach of England's all-conquering Red Roses who worked as England men's defence coach for three years under Eddie Jones.

Free tickets to watch your union's other teams is a decent little perk.

Matt Dawson
2003 World Cup winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

Right at this very moment, nothing is different to the World Cup semi-final or the previous games these two have played in the past.

It is England v South Africa.

A massive South African pack and a talented backline. It is an enormous challenge for these England players to play the Springboks and it will be each time they play them in the next 20 or 30 years.

England's last win over the world champions came in 2021 when fly-half Marcus Smith held his nerve to slot the decisive penalty in the 79th minute.

However, South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard, who is on the bench, nailed a late penalty to snatch a one-point win in last year's World Cup semi-final.

Both players could well need to nail a kick to win it again.

Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

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Springboks don't do sympathy.

South Africa have an immediate and emotional connection to their own nation.

On this trip to the northern hemisphere, the Boks have been granting interviews, signing shirts and coaching kids in a concerted PR push. But there are limits. And when talk turned to England, the charm stopped and the Boks' offence started.

Asked about opposite number Steve Borthwick, there was an initial trace of empathy in Rassie Erasmus' comments... It didn’t last the paragraph though.

"When you lose two games, even if it’s by a point or last-minute try, the pressure does start to build," said Erasmus of a start to the autumn which has increased England’s run of defeats to four games overall.

"I've been there and certainly know how quickly that can get to you. Now Steve is a bit under pressure.

"It depends on your CEO – they can make you feel like you have got a gun against your head."

Read Mike's preview.

Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport

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When Rassie Erasmus took over as South Africa coach in 2017, nothing was dominant. They had been defeated for the first time by Italy in 2016 and fell to their then equal lowest-ever world ranking of sixth.

Once England halted the Springboks maul at Twickenham in the autumn of 2018, Erasmus called for change at the set-piece after he felt his side lacked a pressure point against opposition.

Former South Africa scrum coach Matt Proudfoot recalls the 2018 Rugby Championship, and in particular a game against Argentina, as to where they found their best combinations at the scrum.

"We looked at who was the most destructive loose-head, and it was Beast [Tendai Mtawarira]. So, we built the combination around who would scrum well with him," Proudfoot said.

"Then the Bomb Squad front row was who just had power, which was around [Malcolm] Marx, who was the most powerful and we built him with Steven [Kitshoff] as they scrummed well together.

"The starters were the most destructive and the finishers were the power, almost like taking the shine off the ball in the first 10-15 overs of a Test match."

Read more here.

World champions South Africa have made 12 changes to their starting XV.

Captain Siya Kolisi and former world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit return in the back row, while winger Cheslin Kolbe is also named in the side.

However, despite fielding seven forwards on the bench in the 32-15 win over Scotland, head coach Rassie Erasmus has opted for a conventional five forwards-three backs split among his replacements.

Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium

Keith and his 10-year-old Cameron have made the trip from Weston-super-Mare to watch the Boks and will also be in Cardiff next weekend. Only an inconvient Sunday kick-off prevented them claiming a full house of autumn fixtures up at Murrayfield last weekend.

Cameron's all-time favourite Springbok is Faf de Klerk and he is predicting, very precisely, a 34-22 win for South Africa.

Keith foresees either a 20-odd point blow-out for the visitors or a single-point knee-knocker decided at the death.

The inclusion of Freddie Steward leads to the conclusion there will be lots and lots of kicking.

The 23-year-old made his England debut in 2021 and looked a safe pair of hands at full-back for the next decade.

Steward started last year's semi-final against South Africa, but only because of an injury to Marcus Smith, who had displaced him as England's full-back.

Smith moved back to 10 for this year's Six Nations and in came George Furbank during the campaign as Steve Borthwick's side expanded their attacking game.

Steward is lethal in the air but lacks the ball-playing skills of Furbank and Smith, meaning his return paves the way for plenty of aerial action.

Borthwick also made it clear he has expanded his game. A chance to reclaim the 15 shirt?

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England full-back Freddie Steward is relishing his return to the side against South Africa and says losing his spot to George Furbank has helped make him a "better player".

The 23-year-old was England's first-choice number 15 at the start of the year before losing his place during the Six Nations to George Furbank, who started both England's autumn defeats by New Zealand and Australia.

"It was one of the hardest things I've had to deal with," Steward told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"When you have something for a while and then you lose it, it puts into perspective how important that thing is to you.

"Not having that over the last couple months has been really challenging.

"Emotionally it has been tough, but I've had to use that as fuel to keep pushing and wanting to get better and win that place back.

"It can be a kick in the teeth but you have to use those experiences, and I'm sat here now as a better rugby player and a stronger person."

Read more here.

"Keep Marcus Smith on at fly-half."

That has been the main talking point from England's two narrow defeats this autumn.

Their first Autumn Nations Series game against New Zealand saw Smith replace Ford on 62 minutes. By the final whistle, England's eight-point lead had evaporated, with Ford missing two kicks to win the game.

A week later and boos went around Twickenham's Allianz Stadium when Ford again appeared on 62 minutes, with Smith this time moving to full-back.

Once again, England failed to close the show.

Borthwick is known for being data driven with his replacements and tactics, shown by the identical move two weeks in a row.

Does the England head coach need to stop pre-planned subs?

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Scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and full-back Freddie Steward start for England as head coach Steve Borthwick makes four changes to his starting XV.

The Leicester pair have yet to feature in the Autumn Nations Series but come straight into the line-up in place of Ben Spencer and George Furbank.

Ollie Sleightholme makes his first England start on the wing in place of the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, while Sam Underhill comes in for Tom Curry, who is also missing with concussion.

England's last six games are below - five of which came down to the final play.

France 33-31 England

Japan 17-52 England

New Zealand 16-15 England

New Zealand 24-17 England

England 22-24 New Zealand

England 37-42 Australia

Last week it was Max Jorgensen's 84th-minute try for the Wallabies that added to their struggles of closing out tight games.

Welcome!

This fixture needs no introduction. England against South Africa usually always delivers.

Having narrowly lost their opening two autumn internationals, Steve Borthwick's side need a special performance to upset the world champions and ease some pressure.

One they nearly managed at the semi-finals of last year's World Cup....

Revenge incoming?

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