Follow our live blog as England face South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final in Yokohama on Saturday (kick-off: 9am)
Friday 1 November 2019 09:51, UK
Sam Underhill says England must meet South Africa's physicality in the Rugby World Cup final, as the flanker targeted the breakdown as potentially a defining factor on Saturday.
Underhill and Tom Curry will put their England back-row double act to the test on the sport's biggest stage when they face Rassie Erasmus' Springboks in Saturday's showpiece in Yokohama.
The pair have earned plaudits during England's campaign in Japan for their effectiveness at the breakdown and Underhill is relishing the physical challenge posed by South Africa.
"South Africa are a pretty big side - all over the park. They have some good ball carriers and are a big threat at the breakdown," Underhill said.
Physically it's important we turn up and take that part of the game away from them.
"They have guys who get over the ball as we saw against Wales, when they counter-rucked pretty well. Physically it's important we turn up and take that part of the game away from them.
"For us, it's important in our attack to have speed of ball and that's what the opposition don't want. For any attack to function well, you need good speed of ball.
"In defence, there's not much you can do, for what they bring at you, apart from turn up physically.
"That's probably going to be a theme - a lot of what's underpinning a lot of aspects of the game is physicality. Get that right, and hopefully we will be able to dictate the game.
"On top of the physicality, the thing to bring is accuracy and control. It's all very well being aggressive but the key is to have control of that."
Underhill is one of four forwards in England's starting line-up competing in their first World Cup and the Bath player is in no doubt about the benefit youth has played.
"It's definitely been a positive having younger players in the side. There's a lot of energy and enthusiasm to be had from that," the 23-year-old said.
"I think it has been good for the squad dynamic as well. You are mixing experience with guys that are keen to learn which has been good.
"But I don't think it is something that you really notice."
Underhill praised fellow back-row forward Curry, who was named as England's only representative in World Rugby's Player of the Year award shortlist, for his impact, despite the Sale blindside flanker being just 21 years old.
"You look at the younger players in the squad and they probably don't seem all that young," he added.
"You look at guys like Tom Curry, he is the youngest in the squad, but he doesn't seem like a young player which fills you with quite a lot of confidence."
