South Africa vice-captain Victor Matfield said fatigue would not be an issue when the world champions face England at Twickenham here Saturday.

This weekend's match will be the Springboks' 13th Test in six months and their 20th since the start of last year's World Cup campaign in France, which ended with them beating England 15-6 in the final in Paris.

Last Saturday, South Africa struggled to beat Scotland 14-10 at Murrayfield, a match where they trailed 10-0 and the previous week they had to withstand a rally by Wales before winning 20-15 at the Millennium Stadium.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers, speaking Monday, said: "Sometimes it's very, very difficult to motivate yourself to stand up and just go on and on and on... there's a mental fatigue that nobody sees."

But second-row Matfield, a member of the World Cup final-winning team, insisted the Boks would not be slacking come their last Test of 2008.

"The end of tours are never easy but it's a great challenge for us against England on Saturday, so I'll believe the guys will definitely mentally be right there 100 percent," Matfield told reporters at the squad's hotel here Tuesday.

"It's a great test for us at the end of the season and hopefully we can come through it."

Springbok flanker Schalk Burger, also a World Cup-winner, said South Africa could take heart from the way in which Australia beat a new-look England side, now under the control of Martin Johnson, 28-14 at Twickenham last weekend.

"It's a great opportunity on Saturday. The Wallabies have also had a long season and they came out and played good rugby."

South Africa assistant coach Dick Muir added: "We've had to condition the players and manage them through fatigue.

"It's natural that after a long season that guys start tiring. But you don't need any motivation to play England."

South Africa were due to reveal their Twickenham team on Tuesday but have delayed that announcement by 48 hours because of injuries to key players such as Fourie du Preez.

The scrum-half missed the Scotland game with a strained quadriceps muscle and is battling to be fit for Saturday.

Hooker Bismarck du Plessis and prop Gurthro Steenkamp are both definitely out of the first meeting between the two countries since the World Cup final. The pair suffered hamstring and ankle injuries respectively against Scotland.

However, Muir said he was "sure Bryan Habana will start" after the star wing suffered a thigh knock at Murrayfield.

Johnson, England's 2003 World Cup-winning captain, named his side for this weekend's match on Tuesday.

He recalled flanker James Haskell in place of Tom Croft in the only change to the starting side beaten by Australia.

England's 1st XV features four survivors from the team that kicked-off in the World Cup final - wing Paul Sackey, No 8 Nick Easter and props Phil Vickery and Andrew Sheridan.

AFP

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