CHRIS FOY: England cannot afford a slow start when they take on South Africa on Saturday

Here’s an idea. Eddie Jones should talk to the scoreboard operators at Twickenham and ask that tonight’s game start with ‘England 0 South Africa 20’ on the big screens.

Perhaps that would be the shock to the system that his side needs, to play with freedom from the start. They could explain it off as a technical glitch, rather than a tactical ploy designed to ignite the slow-burning hosts early in their fall final against the world champions.

England must prove to the Springboks that they can find their lead without being cornered first. They have to start this game well to finish this year well. The national team needs a win to do anything better than just break even for 2022.

England have produced their best rugby in recent times when cornered

Another defeat would leave them with an annual return of five wins, a draw and six defeats from 12 Tests. Not even the glass-half-full RFU hierarchy would toast those numbers.

It took England until they stared into the abyss last weekend before they really came to life. Trailing 25-6 going into the final 10 minutes against the dominant All Blacks, they called for a three-try revival to level the scores and take the house down. But they are well aware that they don’t need a crisis to take them to the heights.

They will have to be at their best from the start against World champions South Africa

“There’s an element to that,” said Jonny May when asked about the thorny issue. “The feeling that when the chips run out, all bets are almost off. For some reason, it’s easier to ditch the sink in that scenario. A focus comes on you because the game is almost over or you still have a chance. It almost frees you.

“We have always been a team that wants to start quickly. Why wasn’t there this campaign? It’s never as simple as one reason. Discipline is something we’ve emphasized.”

England captain Owen Farrell was also quick to emphasize that it is not a formality to simply pick up where they left off in a riotous climax to the final game.

The Boks are not cut from the same cloth as the All Blacks, so the home team will have to figure out how to solve a new puzzle.

Jonny May said England ‘have always been a team that wants to start fast’

“Every game is different,” said the playmaker of the Saracens. “Last week I heard, ‘Why didn’t you just start the game like that?’ Don’t you think if we could, we would? Tomorrow’s challenge is completely different. We have to be ready to be for whatever we need to be at any time.”

What awaits you at Twickenham is a seismic encounter with opponents goaded by a siege mentality linked to the ban given to their divisive director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus.

It’s a huge, high-stakes event in its own right, but England’s prospects appear to be more about development goals than a collective desperation to finish the year with a victory.

When asked how important it is to return to their clubs with a good feeling, Farrell said: ‘Definitely in terms of performance. In terms of result, it would probably feel better (to win), but in terms of what we’ve done over the past five weeks, that hasn’t changed.” Attacking coach Richard Cockerill added: “We want to win, but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t.”

Forwards coach Richard Cockerill admitted that the result was not the most important thing

The hordes that will fill the national stadium for free will hope that behind the scenes there is a much more demanding message about the main priority.

England need to develop a winning habit as well as an effective, multi-layered game plan. Beating the dangerous Boks again would justify the transition phase.

For many of the England players on duty and for their head coach, facing these enemies is of great significance. It awakens the ghosts of Yokohama; when South African scrum power meant Farrell and Co were denied the global prize that seemed to be up for grabs.

That was three years ago, but the memories are vivid. “I have a 5G vision of it now,” Jones said. “You never forget that moment when you get on the field and watch the opponent take their gold medals. You hear the audience go crazy and you stand there as a spectator. All the work you’ve done over a long period means nothing to you at that point.

“You never let that go and there will always be something about the players who played in that match – you can never change the result, but you can change the feeling you have. That’s the chance for some of our players this weekend.’

Eddie Jones recalled England’s loss to South Africa at the World Cup in Japan

Steps have been taken to combat the visitors’ strengths as Jones has rearranged his front row and returned to the policy of putting a third lineout jumper on blindside flanker. With Mako Vunipola buzzing after his stormy cameo last weekend, Jamie George able to back up the set piece and Ellis Genge poised to explode from the couch, full of simmering energy, England has firepower to nullify the dreaded ‘Bomb Squad’ . That’s the theory anyway.

It goes without saying that they have to hold their own in the air exchanges, which will be a key feature of the game, and they can’t give points to the Boks as they did to the All Blacks. And even if the scoreboards can’t be adjusted for an effect on the pitch, another slow start will be costly.

England can win this, but that turned out to be the case last Saturday. It really matters now. Fans have patiently tolerated the painful rebuilding process in 2022, now they owe an early Christmas present.