England assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth believes the Springboks they will face in the Rugby World Cup semifinal on Saturday is a different beast to the one they lost to in the 2019 final.
South Africa smashed England 32-12 in Japan in the decider four years ago.
And while the bulk of their squad is the same, they have one key difference - at flyhalf in Manie Libbok.
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And former Roses scrumhalf Wigglesworth knows that with the Stormers in the squad, the Boks play differently.
Wigglesworth says: “In terms of [Manie] Libbok and their outside backs, South Africa now have incredible ball movement, talented runners, they get the ball into space early and let those guys do the damage. They’ve evolved…”
Wigglesworth also had a word for Bok coach Jacques Nienaber and his management team, saying whatever bench they choose it won’t impact England’s team selection.
He explains: “You’ve got to go with your selection, your team - they’ve got a smart, intelligent coaching team… If they want to go 7-1 or 5-3 they can do that, they have a very smart coaching team backed up by good players.”
New Zealand and Argentina clash in the other semi on Friday night.