Eddie Jones is prepared to stick with the midfield combination that ended New Zealand’s reign of dominance at the Rugby World Cup, though England’s plans for Saturday’s final against South Africa were hit with a setback on Tuesday after World Rugby fined them for their haka challenge.

George Ford is likely to keep his place at fly-half alongside Owen Farrell with Manu Tuilagi at outside centre, despite the Springboks’ power game likely to see Duane Vermeulen and Damian de Allende charging down Ford’s channel in a test of his defensive skills.

One other change being considered is whether to start Courtney Lawes in the second row alongside Maro Itoje or to bring in George Kruis in order to utilise the Northampton lock’s athletic ability in the latter stages of the game, when South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus will introduce his ‘Bomb Squad’ replacements to try and swing the final in the Springboks’ favour.

Jonny May and Kyle Sinckler look set to retain their places in the squad, though their fitness will be managed as best as possible over the coming days ahead of the final in Yokohama after suffering thigh and calf issues respectively, but there are thought to be no fears over the fitness of captain Farrell.

However, England have been hit with a fine for their response to the haka ahead of the final, having been punished by World Rugby for crossing the halfway line before last Saturday’s semi-final.

Predicted England team vs South Africa Show all 24 1 /24 Predicted England team vs South Africa Predicted England team vs South Africa England vs South Africa Eddie Jones will announce his team to face South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final on Thursday, but who should he select? Getty Predicted England team vs South Africa 1. Mako Vunipola Has the chance to cement himself as the current best loosehead in the world, though he looked absolutely drained when he came off against the All Blacks. England will hope he’s managed to refill the tank. AFP via Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 2. Jamie George His lineout throwing last weekend was excellent bar one high-profile mishap, so at least there is room for improvement. However, the Springboks have plenty of lineout threats themselves, so his evening will not be an easy one. Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 3. Kyle Sinckler Enjoyed another excellent outing against the All Blacks but comes up against a formidable opponent this weekend in the form of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira. His scrummaging will need to be the best it’s been all tournament. Getty Predicted England team vs South Africa 4. Maro Itoje Every team in the world would welcome a Maro Itoje into their squad, such has been the way that he has taken the World Cup by storm. Has grown into a supreme lineout caller and proved a maul-demolisher against the All Blacks. PA Predicted England team vs South Africa 5. George Kruis Eddie Jones could go either way at lock this weekend, but the admission that he is wary of the physical presence that South Africa will bring late in the game due to their bench could see him choose to change Courtney Lawes’s role this week. AFP/Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 6. Tom Curry There is simply no way Curry and Underhill can be broken up for what is England’s biggest match of a generation, and anyone concerned of whether he will match up against the Springboks needs only look at his breakout tour of South Africa last summer. Conveniently, four of his 18 caps so far have come against this weekend’s opposition. Getty Images, Predicted England team vs South Africa 7. Sam Underhill Like Curry, is proving his weight in gold to this England team by leading the defensive charge in the most physical of fashions. Will face a big test at the breakdown up against Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi and Francois Louw though. AFP via Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 8. Billy Vunipola Described by Eddie jones as a player for the big occasion, they don’t come any bigger, and you get the idea that the time is right for Vunipola to deliver his biggest performance of the entire World Cup. AP Predicted England team vs South Africa 9. Ben Youngs No longer has the safety blanket of having Willi Heinz with him, but Youngs has proven a steady performer throughout England’s time in Japan. It will be interesting to see how he matches up against box-kick extraordinaire Faf de Klerk though – it is an area where the game could be won or lost. AFP via Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 10. George Ford England went on the attack against New Zealand by deploying Ford and Farrell, and they should go for the same again given how they want to impose on the Springboks’ predictable playing pattern. PA Predicted England team vs South Africa 11. Jonny May He remains England’s most dangerous wing but his fitness is a big concern, having suffered a hamstring injury as well as a dead leg over the last two weeks. The former certainly appeared to affect his pace when he couldn’t beat All Black lock Scott Barrett, which was a worrying sign. AP Predicted England team vs South Africa 12. Owen Farrell Another who enters the week with an injury doubt hanging over his head, having suffered a dead leg himself last weekend, but Farrell appears to be growing into the World Cup both as a player and a leader by the week. Getty Predicted England team vs South Africa 13. Manu Tuilagi South Africa will hate playing against a player of his unmatchable power, which could cause serious problems for Lukhanyo Am and the wings. REUTERS Predicted England team vs South Africa 14. Anthony Watson The fact that he hasn’t scored a try this World Cup beggars belief, such has been the standard of his play. Watson beat the first defender every time he got the ball against the All Blacks, such was the dazzling ability of his footwork. PA Predicted England team vs South Africa 15. Elliot Daly Will face a barrage of tactical kicking like he has not experienced before at international level, and it could prove a long evening for the full-back if he is not on the money. Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa <b>Replacements:</b> 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie His lineout reliability is coming on well to the point that Eddie Jones is no longer worried about putting Cowan-Dickie on against strong set-piece sides. AFP via Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 17. Joe Marler His strong scrummaging will come in handy when the match ticks down towards the business end. Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 18. Dan Cole Made a real impact against New Zealand when he came off the bench that shows Sinckler doesn’t have to do it all on his own. PA Predicted England team vs South Africa 19. Courtney Lawes His physical dominance and athletic ability will be needed in the latter stages of the match, along with how well be performed in the lineout and maul last time out, with South Africa holding back RG Snyman and Franco Mostert. Getty Images Predicted England team vs South Africa 20. Mark Wilson He made his mark against New Zealand well by winning a crucial penalty deep in England’s own half following a New Zealand break, and a runout in a World Cup final would be just desserts for what he has given to England over the last 17 months. AP Predicted England team vs South Africa 21. Ben Spencer Has barely set foot in Japan and finds himself in the squad for a Rugby World Cup final. Is brutally harsh on Willi Heinz who has impressed in his first England campaign, but this could be the opportunity for Spencer to show he’s not just a Premiership-calibre player. Getty Predicted England team vs South Africa 22. Henry Slade Could find himself in the starting line-up to try and counter the South African physicality, but that would be something of a defensive move by England and Slade offers plenty of versatility off the bench as we saw last week. Getty Images, Predicted England team vs South Africa 23. Jack Nowell Given the torrid campaign that he has endured, it would be wonderful to see Nowell fit enough to play in a World Cup final. It is the least he deserves for all the hard work he has put in. Getty

Joe Marler, Ben Youngs, Elliot Daly, Billy Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Mark Wilson all crossed the halfway line as the England players deployed an inverted ‘V’ formation during New Zealand’s pre-match war dance, which set their tone for their phenomenal 19-7 victory over the reigning world champions.

The Independent understands that the Rugby Football Union has been fined a four-figure fee for the stunt, although it is not thought to be as much as the £2,500 that France were sanctioned for their response ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.

The players revealed after Saturday’s historic victory that Jones signed off on the move to confront the haka, but Farrell did admit that the team still planned to keep their distance in a show of respect to the All Blacks, even if their aim was to show they would not be daunted by the challenge.

Jones’s opposite number Erasmus defended England over the move to respond to New Zealand’s challenge, and believes that

“I’m not 100 per cent sure what to make of that,” said the South African coach, “but it was certainly interesting and it was exciting. It was certainly something new, and it brought some spice to the test match.

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