Rowntree wants England firing on all cylinders from the start

England forwards coach Graham Rowntree claims there can be no excuse for players not hitting the first Test against South Africa at full speed.

Rowntree feels end-of-season fatigue has been cited as the reason for too many summer failures in the past and expects all the players to be firing come kick-off at Durban’s Kings Park this afternoon. England have certainly enjoyed a thorough preparation for the three-Test series with most of the squad having been in camp a fortnight and training in South Africa for more than a week.

Rowntree said: “In recent times on these tours, at the end of a long season, you have used every excuse going. But then we won the second Test in Australia two years ago. We need to build more of that into our game now. We have got to start winning these big games. Our season only finishes on 24 June.”

Rowntree is well aware of the ferocity of the challenge likely to face England from the Springboks. South Africa are renowned for their physicality and, even with three new caps in their pack, they still boast a formidable front row. Loosehead Tendai Mtawarira comprehensively and infamously outplayed former England captain Phil Vickery in a British and Irish Lions Test three years ago while Bismarck du Plessis is regarded as one of the world’s top hookers. His brother Jannie du Plessis completes a front trio that all play together for Durban-based Sharks.

Rowntree remembers the Lions clashes well having worked as scrummaging coach for that series. He said: “I am a big fan of their front row. We all saw what ‘The Beast’ [Mtawarira] did last time I was here, Bismarck has got exceptional skill and I like that in a player. Then there is Jannie as well. They are a challenge for us but as a forwards connoisseur I am looking forward to that battle. We saw it in the Lions’ first Test and in the second Test we rectified that. That battle tomorrow will be very interesting.”

England are looking to build momentum after an encouraging campaign under new head coach Stuart Lancaster in the RBS Six Nations, which raised spirits after a poor World Cup.

South Africa: Z Kirchner; J P Pietersen, J de Villiers (capt), F Steyn, B Habana; M Steyn, D Hougaard; T Mtawarira, B du Plessis, J du Plessis, E Etzebeth, J Kruger, M Coetzee, W Alberts, P Spies. Subs: A Strauss, C Oosthuizen, F van der Merwe, K Daniel, R Pienaar, P Lambie, W Olivier.

England: M Brown (Harlequins); C Ashton (Northampton), M Tuilagi (Leicester), B Barritt (Saracens), B Foden (Northampton); O Farrell (Saracens), B Youngs (Leicester); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), M Botha (Saracens), G Parling (Leicester), T Johnson (Exeter), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Morgan (Scarlets). Subs: L Mears (Bath), P Doran Jones (Northampton), T Palmer (Stade Francais), P Dowson (Northampton), L Dickson (Northampton), T Flood (Leicester), J Joseph (London Irish).