Johnson wants intensity against Boks

Martin Johnson has demanded England take a cup final mentality into Saturday’s showdown with struggling world champions South Africa.

Johnson has reverted to his strongest line-up and named the same starting XV that laid the foundations for England’s record 35-18 victory over Australia two Saturdays ago.

Lewis Moody returns to the openside as captain and Mike Tindall reclaims his place at outside centre from Matt Banahan after both senior players were rested for last week’s win against Samoa.

The Leicester pair of flanker Tom Croft and tighthead prop Dan Cole are also back in the starting team as England aim to end an encouraging autumn campaign on a high.

Johnson was disappointed that England’s intensity levels dropped in the 26-13 win against Samoa – and he warned that nothing but total commitment will do against the physical Springboks.

“Every Test is a cup final. There are not little Test matches,” said Johnson.

“Against Australia we took the lead and then kept our foot on the pedal. Last week our guys’ intensity was a few per cent off and they have to be able to raise that, whoever they are playing.

“It is balls-out from the start to the end. If you are smart, accurate and disciplined then you have a chance to win. That is what we need to get to.

“It is going to be a big, big game. It is a cracking game to be involved in whenever you play South Africa. You know what you are going to get in terms of intensity.

“We know we will have to play at a very high level. It will be very physical, intense and a great Test match. Everyone is looking forward to a full-blooded Test match at Twickenham.”

England have not beaten South Africa since 2006 and two years ago, in Johnson’s first encounter with the Springboks as a coach, they were thrashed 42-6 in a record home defeat.

“It wasn’t a fun day but that is sometimes what you go through,” said Johnson.

Fast forward two often testing years and Johnson now has a settled team that has risen to fourth in the world on the back of successive victories over the Wallabies.

England will have used just 25 players in their four autumn Tests.

If they take South Africa’s scalp too it will only serve to enhance the view held by Springboks coach Peter de Villiers that England will be a real threat at next year’s World Cup.

Johnson played down any suggestion that England are even close to being considered a finished article but he agreed his current squad had taken impressive strides in a short space of time.

“I think our standards are certainly higher than they were six to eight months ago. Our expectations of each other are higher and as a team we are able tell each other ’that needs to be better’,” said Johnson.

“This time last year (after England were ravaged by injuries) it was a very different team to where we are now. We were back to square one.

“The great thing is the younger guys have come through and the older guys have come back and are playing well.”

England have been forced to change their pre-match preparations after covers were placed on the Twickenham pitch to protect it from the cold weather.

The Rugby Football Union insist the match is not under threat but England will hold their traditional eve-of-Test captain’s run at the team hotel instead.