England begin their Nations Championship campaign against world champions South Africa this Saturday, July 4, at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The match kicks off at 4:40 PM BST, but fans expecting to see it on ITV1 will be disappointed, as it has been moved to ITV4.
Why is the match not on ITV1?
ITV has chosen to keep its regular Saturday afternoon schedule on ITV1, airing Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals followed by national and regional news. At 5:15 PM BST, ITV1 will switch to football coverage of the World Cup round-of-16 match between Canada and Morocco, which begins at 6 PM BST in Houston.
Where to watch South Africa v England
The match will be broadcast live and free-to-air on ITV4, with coverage starting at 4:20 PM BST. Fans can also stream the game live via ITVX. For those preferring radio, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide live commentary.
Team news
South Africa have named a formidable line-up, including Siya Kolisi (captain), Eben Etzebeth, and Cheslin Kolbe. England have opted to use exciting youngster Henry Pollock as an impact replacement. The full teams are as follows:
South Africa XV: Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Grant Williams; Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Ruan Nortje, Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese. Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Neethling Fouché, Marco van Staden, Cameron Hanekom, Cobus Reinach, Andre Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie.
England XV: George Furbank; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Seb Atkinson, Cadan Murley; Fin Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (capt), Joe Heyes, Alex Coles, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Ben Earl. Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Beno Obano, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Charlie Ewels, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith.
England head coach Steve Borthwick faces a daunting challenge against the world champions at Ellis Park, a venue known for its hostile atmosphere and altitude. The Springboks have named a powerful side, while England look to their bench for impact, particularly through the dynamic Henry Pollock.
