Is South Africa vs England on TV? Channel, kick-off time and how to watch Springboks in Nations Championship
South Africa and England collide on the opening weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship in a mighty meeting at Ellis Park.
Steve Borthwick’s side face a gruelling itinerary over the next three weeks as they play in Johannesburg, Liverpool and Santiago del Estero bidding to put their worst-ever Six Nations behind them.
It is a daunting start to their summer campaign after four successive defeats, with the world champion Springboks fully loaded for their arrival.
Rassie Erasmus’s squad worked off some rust in a fixture against the Barbarians and may just be looking to make a statement in their first meeting with England since November 2024.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When is South Africa vs England?
South Africa vs England is due to kick off at 4.40pm BST on Saturday 4 July at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV4, with coverage from 4.20pm BST. A live stream will be available via ITVX, with every game from the new competition on the network in July and November.
Team news
South Africa are without a handful of key figures yet can still name a fearsome side full of double World Cup winners. With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu absent through injury, Manie Libbok is trusted at No 10 while Eben Etzebeth returns to international colours having featured just once since his red card for eye gouging against Wales in November.
Rassie Erasmus names five specialist forwards on the bench, though Andre Esterhuizen has featured regularly on the flank over the last 12 months and offers real versatility.
South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Thomas du Toit; 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortje; 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese; 9 Grant Williams, 10 Manie Libbok; 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Cheslin Kolbe; 15 Damian Willemse.
Replacments: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Cameron Hanekom; 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Canan Moodie.
Jamie George leads England with Maro Itoje rested from the Nations Championship. The return of George Martin to the second row is welcome in Itoje’s absence, allowing Ollie Chessum to remain on the blindside after a standout performance against France at the end of the Six Nations.
Henry Pollock is withheld on the bench as Tom Curry and Ben Earl are preferred in the starting back row, while George Furbank is primed for his first England appearance since November 2024 after being selected to start at full-back. George Furbank had been due to start at full-back but has been ruled out after being rushed to hospital with appendicitis.
England XV: 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George (capt.), 3 Joe Heyes; 4 Alex Coles, 5 George Martin; 6 Ollie Chessum, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Ben Earl; 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 10 Fin Smith; 11 Cadan Murley, 12 Seb Atkinson, 13 Tommy Freeman, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; 15 TBC.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Henry Pollock; 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Marcus Smith.
