Lewsey talks of a 'Bok backlash'

'They want to finish their season on a high'

England winger Josh Lewsey has braced himself for a South African backlash at Twickenham on Saturday as the Springboks' end-of-season tour teeters on the brink of failure.

The Tri-Nations champions arrived in Britain earlier this month hoping to complete a rare 'Grand Slam' of victories over the home nations, but that dream was derailed in spectacular fashion at Lansdowne Road last Saturday - when they were defeated 17-12 by Ireland.

Next up for Jake White's side are England at Twickenham and the tourists must end a losing run of five successive defeats against the world champions if they want to return home with their pride intact.

They are sure to beat Scotland in their last remaining fixture in nine days' time but victories over Matt Williams' Six Nations wooden spoonists and Wales will be seen as an unsatisfactory return.

With so much at stake, Saturday promises to be a ferocious encounter and Lewsey knows the Springboks have players capable of making England pay for the embarrassing flop in Dublin.

"South Africa will be relatively disappointed after losing to Ireland, who haven't done us any favours by beating them," said the Wasps back.

"One of the worst things you can do against a good side is score or beat them because that just upsets them and they come back even more determined. And I know how we'd react if we lost the week before - we'd want to rectify things.

"They want to finish their season on a high and beat us. They will be massively motivated and have the players to cause a huge amount of damage."

Lewsey - who will be playing his third match against South Africa - is full of admiration for the teak-tough mentality which has earned the Springboks a fearsome reputation as one of the powerhouses of world rugby.

"No Test match is a place for the faint-hearted. Everyone talks about South Africa's physicality and we need to match that. But guts and determination are basic ingredients which should be present in every game," he said.

"South African rugby players have always prided themselves on being extremely strong men who don't mind clattering into people. They are brave folks.

"But they're also a quality side - you don't become Tri-Nations champions without knowing how to play the game a bit. It will be a tough environment but these are the sort of days you relish."

England boss Andy Robinson is determined to inject some much-needed creativity and flair into his side's attacking play, a department of the world champions' game that deteriorated alarmingly last season.

They had few problems creating openings against Canada in last Saturday's 70-0 triumph but South Africa are a different kettle of fish altogether and try-scoring opportunities are likely to be at a premium.

But Lewsey said: "If we're to emulate what we did last year and win the World Cup in 2007 we need to start pushing the boundaries again. We played well against Canada and must continue that.

"But playing good rugby is not just about moving the ball wide. It's about choosing the right options and being unpredictable. We have players who can play what they see.

"If you play by numbers and stick to a set plan it's very easy to defend against - you'd be crucified by South Africa's blitz defence.

"You need that level of uncertainty and we have players who are world class at that - guys like Charlie Hodgson. It makes for a very exciting time at the weekend."