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Ollie Chessum insists that while Saturday\u2019s World Cup semi-final against South Africa leaves no margin for error, it is also \u201cscary\u201d how much England can improve.<\/p>\n
Only England still possess an unbeaten record amongst the teams in the last four after they came through a tense encounter with dangerous Fiji to set-up a rematch of the 2019 final.<\/p>\n
They face one of the great Springbok sides who are aiming to clinch successive world titles \u2013 an achievement only New Zealand have managed in the past \u2013 but Chessum believes the best is yet to come from Steve Borthwick\u2019s men.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s as simple as if you don\u2019t turn up you haven\u2019t got a shot \u2013 not against these big teams, teams in the semi-finals,\u201d Chessum said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re anything less than 100 per cent they\u2019re going to walk all over you. For me I just know I\u2019ve got a job to do and if I don\u2019t do it I\u2019m letting the team down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know what is coming. There is an awareness of their ability, the threats that they pose.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey play against top-class teams, they play against top players that will target them week-in, week-out and yet they are still able to do what they do. It\u2019s our job to stop that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are improving week-by-week as a group. We were in a strange place in the warm-up games in August.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we are starting to figure ourselves out and find our identity. We know what we bring as a team.<\/p>\n
We are growing as a team and I think that is a scary thing for any team<\/p>\n
\u201cThe set-piece is a big part of England\u2019s game and has been for years. And then working for each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cSteve has a thing of never stopping and that\u2019s something we\u2019re trying to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are growing as a team and I think that is a scary thing for any team. We are not the complete article yet but we are winning games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a real growing process and it\u2019s not finished, but we feel like we\u2019re more than capable of doing the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Playing for a nation scarred by a history of racial division, the Springboks are driven by a powerful sense of purpose as revealed by their captain Siya Kolisi, who stated before the 2019 World Cup that \u201cwe represent something much bigger than we can imagine\u201d.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s \u2018why\u2019 may be less profound, but for Chessum it is every bit as motivational heading into a match which South Africa are strong favourites to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing it for ourselves. We owe it to each other. It has been a long campaign \u2013 June 12 was when the group started training. That\u2019s a long time to be together,\u201d Chessum said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen what we\u2019ve had to go through to get here, the hard work behind the scenes, the things that everyone does for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing it for ourselves as a group, our families back home and we\u2019re doing it for the country. We\u2019re representing England and we take massive pride in doing that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big motivating, rev-up factor for me is that I\u2019m playing for England, I\u2019m playing for my country at a World Cup, and we\u2019re facing South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time you\u2019re playing for your country it shouldn\u2019t be that hard to rev yourself up. You\u2019ve got to rise to the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borthwick names his starting XV and bench at lunchtime on Thursday, with the duel between Marcus Smith and Freddie Steward at full-back the biggest talking point.<\/p>\n