ENGLAND are 54 caps more experienced and 20kg heavier in the pack going into their World Cup final against South Africa.

Eddie Jones' Red Rose have the edge on paper as the men in white aim to win their first Rugby World Cup since 2003.

They face the team that beat them in the 2007 final in Paris.

But this time the roles are reversed and Owen Farrell and Co go into the Yokohama final as favourites after their sensational 19-7 win over the All Blacks.

England have named an unchanged team for the final and are persisting with George Ford at 10 with Farrell at 12.
Jones then has the easy option of being able to shove Farrell in to fly-half and put Henry Slade on at inside centre if his original plan does not work.

Faf de Klerk put 19 kicks from hand into the air against Wales in their semi-final, while George Ford and Ben Youngs did so ten times in their semi.

It hints that South Africa will try and test England with their kicking, while Ford and Farrell will surely try and put the ball behind the Springbok lines.

Rassie Erasmus' side have had to put in 660 tackles so far in this World Cup, while the Red Rose have hit 637 times.

Considering the final game of Pool C was cancelled against France, that is still a lot of tackles for the English.

By the end of their bronze medal match, New Zealand have put in 844 tackles and Wales 823.

Their record since the last tournament also makes interesting reading.

England were undefeated for the whole of 2016 and remained so until the end of the 2017 Six Nations, when they lost 13-9 in Dublin.

Then came a bumpy 2018, which included defeats to Scotland, France and Ireland in the Six Nations, before a bizarre 63-45 loss to the Barbarians at Twickenham.

A South Africa series followed, with losses to the Springboks in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, but the Red Rose salvaged pride with a 25-10 victory in Cape Town, then came a 12-11 victory at Twickenham five months later.

That was the last time the two sides faced each other and the Springboks have since won the Rugby Championship title and look to be hitting form at the right time.

As for the packs, South Africa's forwards are marginally lighter than those starting for England.

And as against New Zealand, Billy Vunipola is the heaviest forward on the pitch.

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