Launchbury set for take -off

A NEW generation of second-row “enforcers” go head to head at Twickenham on Saturday as Joe Launchbury of England and Eben Etzebeth of South Africa find themselves with the daunting label at the tender age of 21.

Etzebeth has already earned rave reviews after nine tests filling the boots of former Springbok hard man Bakkies Botha, while Launchbury will make his first start after similarly impressing the England management in his two appearances off the bench.

Etzebeth, having gone toe-to-toe with Australia’s Nathan Sharpe in the Rugby Championship, with just a hint of a headbutt thrown in for good measure, is clearly not a man to be intimidated at 6ft 8ins and 19st 5lbs.

But then nor is Launchbury, who was brought in by Stuart Lancaster as one of six changes from last week’s defeat by Australia Two inches shorter and more than a stone lighter, Launchbury is nevertheless a real force and he is looking forward to meeting up with Etzebeth again having beaten him and his South African side in last year’s under-20 world championship. “Eben’s doing a great job, he’s six months younger than me and he’s playing his tenth test so he’s doing fantastically,” said Launchbury. “If I can get up to his standards then that’s great for me. He wasn’t so well known when we played in the under-20s and I’ve got very fond memories of that game. We pipped it 26-20 but it was close right to the end.

“This Saturday is a big physical game for my first start but I do really enjoy the physical side of things.”

England: A Goode (Saracens); C Ashton (Saracens), M Tuilagi (Leicester), B Barritt (Saracens), M Brown (Harlequins); T Flood (Leicester), B Youngs (Leicester); A Corbisiero (London Irish), T Youngs (Leicester), D Cole (Leicester), J Launchbury (Wasps), G Parling (Leicester), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Morgan (Gloucester). Subs: D Paice (London Irish), D Wilson (Bath), M Vunipola (Saracens), M Botha (Saracens), J Haskell (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins), O Farrell (Saracens), J Joseph (London Irish).

South Africa: Z Kirchner; J P Pietersen, J de Jongh, J de Villiers (capt), F Hougaard; P Lambie, R Pienaar; G Steenkamp, A Strauss, J du Plessis, E Etzebeth, J Kruger, F Louw, W Alberts, D Vermuelen. Subs: S Brits, H van der Merwe, P Cilliers, F van der Merwe, M Coetzee, E Jantjies, J Taute, L Mvovo.