England vs South Africa: 5 Previous Meetings at the Rugby World Cup

This weekend's match will mark the 46th overall meeting between the two sides, and their sixth meeting in Rugby World Cup competitions. There have been some iconic matches between the two nations in the past, with their history amongst the richest in Rugby World Cup rivalries. The Springboks are heavily favoured to win, following their 29-28 triumph over host nation France in the quarter-finals.

However, a pool stage loss to Ireland proved that the Springboks are in fact beatable, with England looking to replicate the recent heroics of their home nation colleagues. England are the last unbeaten side left at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, as the three other semi-finalists all suffered pool stage defeats, (New Zealand to France and Argentina to England).

Borthwick's men will relish in the opportunity to dump out South Africa, and reach the Rugby World Cup Final for a shot at becoming World Champions for the second time. The Springboks are looking to make history of their own, as the first side to win four Rugby World Cup titles. They also want to become the second nation to successfully retain the title, after the All Blacks' back-to-back wins in 2011 and 2015.

The most recent meeting between the two sides at the Rugby World Cup, saw England and South Africa meet in the final just four years ago. Taking centre stage in Japan's Yokohama Stadium, the Springboks ran out a resounding win against England, who had exhausted their offensive after a historic semi-final win over the All Blacks. England had battled tooth and nail to topple New Zealand in the final four, and ran out of steam for the culminating match against South Africa.

However, the Springboks were far from firing at the best throughout 2019, and shocked England with their emphatic performance in the World Cup Final. England reached the final a day before South Africa, and watched the Springboks scrape past Wales with a 19-16 semi-final win. Red Rose fans more concerned for a run-in with Wales, as Warren Gatland's side had just claimed the Grand Slam in the 2019 Six Nations, whilst the Springboks had suffered a previous pool stage defeat to New Zealand.

England were arguably favourites for the final, yet had an unfortunate start to the game as tight-head Kyle Sinckler was knocked unconscious. Sinckler collided with Maro Itoje, sending the prop off the pitch after just the third minute. The only points of the first half were scored from the tee, as Handre Pollard and Owen Farrell slotted penalty after penalty, for a 12-6 score-line in favour of South Africa. England looked closest to grabbing a first half try, yet the resolved Springboks defence kept England at bay, which at one stage tallied up to a relentless 26 phases.

Pollard and Farrell each slotted a penalty after half-time, taking the score to 18-12, before Springboks winger Makazole Mapimpi found the break-through over the try-line. This 66th minute score marked the first South African try in a Rugby World Cup Final, before the 'Boks followed up through their opposite winger Cheslin Kolbe just eight minutes later. Kolbe's try is the best remembered moment of the match, as he used a change of pace to evade Joe Marler, side-stepped through Farrell's tackle, before beating Billy Vunipola to the try-line, to wrap up a wonderful solo score.

Pollard slotted the 75th minute conversion, as South Africa won the Rugby World Cup for a record-equalising third time. Only the All Blacks had accomplished a trio of titles, with the Springboks making history in Yokohama, with a win once again coming at the extent of England.

England entered the 2007 Rugby World Cup in a dire situation, with no-one expecting them to reach the final in France. A poor run of form had fans reaching boiling point, with Head Coach Brian Ashton in danger of losing the support of his players for the tournament. England's early campaign witnessed a one-sided pool stage defeat to South Africa (more on that shortly), but battled through the likes of Samoa, Tonga and the United States to book a place in the quarter-finals.

The side gelled together in the knock-out stages, and stunned the heavily favoured Wallabies with a 12-10 victory. The likes of Joe Worsely, Simon Shaw and Paul Sackey recently recalled to the Guardian, about how the match was won by England's mentality, and in a relentless up-front battle against Australia. The semi-finals beckoned and England achieved another unexpected triumph, this time felling the hosts France 14-9 in Paris. Despite the immense support from a sea of Les Bleus fans, Ashton's men banded together, for a re-union with the Springboks in the final.

Regarded as the best team in the world heading into the tournament, South Africa were expected to make it to the final, and impressed in their straight-forward knock-out stage wins over Fiji and Argentina. As a contest, the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final was one for the purists, with all of the points coming from the kicking tee. Percival Montgomery and Francois Steyn slotted home 15 points for the Springboks, whilst England's 2003 hero Jonny Wilkinson could only muster up six points through the posts.

A decisive moment in the match saw England winger Mark Cueto dive to score in the Springboks corner, yet was simultaneously muscled out into touch by South African number eight Danie Rossouw. Referee Alain Rolland conferred with the TMO Stuart Dickinson, who ruled out the try-scoring efforts of the Sale Sharks legend. England's last roll of the dice saw Wilkinson attempt a long-range drop goal after 71 minutes to re-ignite a comeback, yet the effort was unsuccessful. The Web Ellis Trophy was later awarded to the Springboks, who had ended England's four-year reign as World Champions.

Before England battled their way through to the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final, and went against the odds in the most unexpected of tournament runs, Brian Ashton's men started their campaign with a win over the USA, before taking a crushing defeat to the Springboks. The shut-out defeat has lived in the memory of older England fans, and is a reminder that sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better.

This defeat was a wake-up call. England had been coasting in mediocrity with third and fourth placed finishes in the Six Nations, dating back to the 2004 Championship. They would routinely lose the Autumn clashes with New Zealand and South Africa, with this opening World Cup loss stripping England of their life jacket. They would now either sink or swim, with their subsequent World Cup run proving that they did in fact belong amongst rugby's elite nations.

The 36-0 landslide win was also a testament to the strength of the Springboks. Despite being the resident wooden spoon holders in the Tri-Nations Championship, South Africa always rallied best in the Rugby World Cups, and have the track record to prove it. The one-way traffic got the green light from the get go, with Springboks back-row Juan Smith crossing over for a try, after just six minutes in Saint-Denis.

Francois Steyn slotted three points from the tee, before JP Pietersen scored his first of two tries on the cusp of half-time. Percival Montgomery added a penalty of his own before the break, before sending three further efforts over the uprights throughout the second 40 minutes. JP Pietersen completed his brace with a score at 64 minutes, with England more than well-beaten ahead of the closing quarter of an hour's play. A brutal display of relentless winning from the Springboks, but the loss kicked England into gear for a memorable, yet unexpected run to the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final.

It's time to shine a red and white traffic light on the Springboks now, whilst Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber watch back the tape of England's sole Rugby World Cup win over South Africa. Coming on the road to England's crowning triumph in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Sir Clive Woodward's men entered the tournament riding a wave of momentum, and got started in despatching their pool stage opponents.

Georgia were the first to fall. An emphatic 84-6 win put to rest any lingering worries of England's nerves on the biggest stage. Then came the Springboks, England's old foe who would certainly test the metal of the soon to be World Champions. England were on enemy territory, Sir Clive's men were not well liked in Australia, with Perth's Subiaco Oval packing in plenty of Springbok-supporting Aussies, for Pool C's main event.

England also had to deal with injuries to Matt Dawson and Richard Hill, following a bruising first match against the Georgians. But despite the fan animosity and late changes to the script, England ran out a hard fought victory over South Africa, much to the dismay of the majority of 'neutrals' in attendance.

A 6-6 half-time score left little on the pitch. This arm-wrestle had not yet given an inch, with the like-for-like points scoring coming from the boots of Jonny Wilkinson and Louis Koen. The match is remembered for being a brutal affair, with colossal hits flying in, leaving players busted up on both sides. South Africa were denied a second half break-through, as Jason Robinson bundled Bakkies Botha into touch with a last-ditch tackle. An outstanding effort from a man half the size of the titanic lock.

England hit their stride after the hour mark, and were over for the one and only try of the contest at 62 minutes. Lewis Moody charged down Koen's clearance kick, before Will Greenwood hacked the loose ball down into the in-goal area, before diving on it to score. Wilkinson followed this up by nailing the conversion, and a subsequent drop goal to settle nerves, as the scoreboard crept up to 22-6 at 65 minutes. One final Wilkinson penalty put the match beyond all doubt, as England continued their grand tour to Rugby World Cup glory.

It took until the fourth iteration of the Rugby World Cup, for England and South Africa to meet in the competition. The two sides first went to battle in the quarter-finals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. England finished second in Pool A, with wins over Tonga and Italy, but suffered a 30-16 loss to the All Blacks in a top-spot decider. Sir Clive Woodward's men then battled passed Fiji, in the long forgotten quarter-final play-offs system.

South Africa entered the quarter-finals one match fresher, having completed a clean sweep of pool stage wins over Scotland, Uruguay and Spain. The Springboks watched on as England were left beaten and bruised by Fiji, in a style now all too similar to how Marcus Smith and co were hit from pillar to post, some 24 years later, but once again in France.

The opening 25 minutes saw a kicking match break-down, between England's Paul Grayson and South Africa's Jannie de Beer. In a style that has since been followed in each of the following knock-out stage matches, the early points were scored by the boots of the halfbacks. However, for every penalty that Grayson nailed from the tee, de Beer responded with a finely struck drop goal to level the scorings. This pattern ran until Grayson edged in front with a 9-6 lead, but only before the Springboks crossed over for the first try of the match.

Scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen claimed the break-through try, with de Beer again adding the extras in a fine sharpshooting performance. Grayson retaliated with his fourth penalty, with de Beer adding his own in a playground like match of one-upsmanship. The metronomic kicking continued, with a rhythmic pattern of Grayson, de Beer, Grayson, de Beer, once again hypnotising the 75,000 fans inside the Stade de France. The pattern was abruptly ended by the introduction of a 20-year-old Jonny Wilkinson, before South Africa ran away with the match in the final eight minutes of play.

19 unanswered points saw the floodgates finally open on England, as South Africa's fly-half kicked a pair of penalties and drop goals, before he added the conversion on Pieter Rossouw's 84th minute try. The overall score-line is an unfair reflection of the hotly contested match, with the Springboks able to quite literally kick into top gear, for a race to the finish. This sent England tumbling out of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and they would have to wait four years to make amends on their path to immortality.