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November 27, 2010

Posted on 11/27/2010

Second row showdown


Will England's Courtney Lawes rise to the challenge of South Africa's Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha? © Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Will Greenwood believes England's Courtney Lawes and Tom Palmer face a big test against their Springbok counterparts Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield.

"Brad Thorn, of New Zealand, has been pushing hard for the title of rugby enforcer over the past 18 months, but if you asked me who I would fear the most, it is still Botha.

"I once compared his partner in crime, Matfield, to Lee van Cleef. He strolls into town, ready to do what must be done, confident that the opposition will blink first.

"A basketball athlete with the leap of a bucking bronco and the hands of a centre. Old hands, Botha and Matfield have seen it all and done it better than pretty much anyone. Today, however, the old hands will come up against a young partnership who have shown their steel in the past couple of matches.

"England have Tom Palmer and Courtney Lawes in their second row and they have added a new dimension to the England team. Dynamic, powerful, athletic, nasty, with some pretty tasty hands of their own."

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