England guts up front and speed in the backs can tame brutal South Africa 

• Stuart Lancaster has to show his leadership skills after All Blacks defeat
• England face South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon
• There is no need to over-react to the loss suffered against New Zealand
• England want the game more and that should see them over the line 

By Sir Clive Woodward for the Daily Mail

Published: 17:32 EST, 14 November 2014 | Updated: 07:01 EST, 15 November 2014

Being the England coach can be a very lonely place. I can remember times when I just shut the door to my office and had a quiet word with myself.

Thankful of a couple of hours to think, I’d repeat in my head: ‘OK, you can do this, keep calm and get the job done.’

It’s an all-consuming job but champions and winners in all areas of life, not just sport, perform at their best when the pressure is at its greatest.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster (right) looks on at his squad as they take part in a team huddle

Lancaster looks very composed during games and trusts his coaching team, according to Sir Clive Woodward

South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer looks on during Springboks training on Friday

The key to dealing with pressure is to sit down and speak to your team and plan how you are going to react to every scenario. You have to prepare and practise... even how to lose.

Do not underestimate the pressure these two coaches are under. Both teams are in a corner and the stakes are huge. Whoever has dealt with that pressure better this week will win on Saturday.

From the outside, England appear to have handled it well — something that is epitomised in Lancaster’s consistent selection — and it should carry them home in a must-win match.

Stuart Lancaster and South Africa’s Heyneke Meyer act very differently during games.

Lancaster looks very composed, trusting his coaching team, but becoming more animated if the game is not going his way. Meyer shouts into his microphone and clearly lives and breathes every tackle.

There is no right or wrong, but to make the correct calls you cannot get carried away with the emotion of the game.

England’s players will have looked to Lancaster for leadership over the course of this week. The loss against New Zealand will be felt more acutely because England were in a position to win the game and will know they did not perform well in the second half.

Stuart Lancaster: England have a huge challenge with South Africa

(From left) Billy Vunipola, David Wilson, Ben Youngs, Jonny May and Courtney Lawes run during training

England fly half Owen Farrell practises his kicking during training at Twickenham on Friday

The players will have looked to see how Lancaster handles the pressure of that defeat. Trust me, players want to know how well their coach can handle the intensity of top-level sport. 

Lancaster appears to be admired and respected by his players and coaching team, but it is in weeks like this as a coach that you have the opportunity to show your resolve, your strength and lead from the front. Handling pressure when you win is one thing, handling it when so much is at stake is another.

I had a chance to catch up with Meyer at the Barclays 02 ATP tennis this week and he and his team were, as usual, great ambassadors for the game and their country. Meyer was on good form, the squad relaxed and philosophical about their loss in Ireland. Meyer really did seem in control of everything.

England are by no means in disarray and there is no need to panic. Indeed too often coaches and teams over-react to a loss.

But a reaction is needed after four losses on the bounce, and there really is no better game for it than South Africa at Twickenham.

Lancaster will have had to take the lead in every session. His voice needs to be the loudest and clearest within the set-up.

It’s important that a coach has a couple of people outside the squad who you can trust just to offload a bit. I would confide in the former England and Lions prop Fran Cotton. When I made my debut for England, Fran was one of the senior players and the respect I have for him and his opinion has never wavered.

England train at their base in Pennyhill Park (Archive)

South Africa's stars are put through their paces during the captain's run on Friday 

Tendai Mtawarira stretches during the Springboks session on the Twickenham pitch

Bryan Habana passes the ball during the South Africa captain's run at Twickenham

He could be brutal at times in his assessments but he gave it to me straight. That’s what I liked and that is what I needed. His favourite line after a period of silence was always: ‘Woody — I wouldn’t have done that!’ I hated hearing those words.

Things can start to fall apart if you fail to plan for the bad times and just try to make it up as you go along. I hope Lancaster had planned his response to defeat against the All Blacks, it’s his job to be one or two steps ahead of his own team.

He also needs to find out exactly who in his squad is prepared to really front up, which players and coaches thrive under this pressure. I’d listen to the media and use any criticism as inspiration and motivation. I would create a siege mentality, knowing the best players would channel criticism and up their performance.

‘England Expects’ is one of my favourite lines from my time as head coach. It really came to the fore in matches like this.

The message was simple: no longer were we going to accept the role of the underdog, valiant performances and the occasional victory against the southern-hemisphere nations. Our team, like this England team, was capable of better. The English fans, the media and ourselves all expected victory.

And England really can deliver on the expectation on Saturday. This is the perfect game for them — everyone knows what is coming at them today, nothing flash is needed in defence other than sheer guts and bravery. Deliver that and England will win.

England players look dejected during the demoralising defeat against New Zealand last Saturday

New Zealand celebrate after beating England 24-21 in an impressive display at Twickenham

South Africa, arguably, have the best and most physical pack in world rugby.

They will run directly at you with very few offloads from their forwards. Not only will they try to hurt the tackler, but they are also looking to cause maximum pain at the contact.

The gainline is everything to them — it’s in their DNA and part of their macho make-up. Their two powerful centres will look to smash their way across it. I was on the receiving end when I played for the Lions in 1980 and their philosophy hasn’t changed much since. You pay for that physicality in collisions unlike in any other match, but South Africa’s predictability makes them totally beatable.

The key is to stretch them. You need to get the ball away from the breakdown swiftly and make at least one more pass after the first receiver and offload wherever possible. The support play has to be through the roof.

The back row is crucial here. I’d look for Chris Robshaw and Billy Vunipola to show their handling skills in this regard, keep the ball alive and do not get drawn into their comfort zone. Space is everything — find it, exploit it, kick into it and the raw speed of Anthony Watson and Jonny May will be England’s greatest asset. For England to win they will have to out-think South Africa and be more inventive.

England No 8 Billy Vunipola puts his hands out ready to receive the ball during training on Friday

Skipper Chris Robshaw led out his side for the captain's run at Twickenham on Friday ahead of the match

I want to see new backs moves and for England to be far more creative with their kicking game.

I hope to see lots of dummy runners too — because you absolutely know the South Africans will take the contact. They can’t help themselves.

I’d like to see kickers at 10 and 12, but in many ways I’m pleased Lancaster has stuck with Kyle Eastmond at inside centre. It shows he’s not being cowed by other people’s opinions. Mike Brown needs to get far more involved as an effective second kicker and allow Eastmond to use his quick feet in the wider channels.

England must get the ball to their dangerous runners more often, having failed to do so against the All Blacks. They need to offset the Bok defence and target space.

I want to see a tough, aggressive English team take the field and I’d like Twickenham to be more hostile and uncomfortable for the South Africans. I’m concerned that the way the ground is being marketed as ‘the home of English rugby’ makes it too cosy for England and their opponents alike.

England are playing the toughest team in world rugby — a home is a warm welcoming place. I wouldn’t be surprised to see yellow or red cards. South Africa have a history of not handling pressure well when they’re backed into a corner.

Back in 2002 their entire team lost the plot and we crushed them 53-3. I don’t expect the same on Saturday, but one or two of their players could cross the line.

The pressure is on both teams but I feel that England have handled it slightly better.

This game will go down to the wire. Who can handle the pressure in the last few minutes will be key. England want this game more and that should see them home — just.

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