Clive Woodward urges England to make a bold call by starting a teenager against the Springboks at Ellis Park in July.
Writing for Daily Mail, the 2003 World Cup-winning England coach argues that 19-year-old Saracens flyer Noah Caluori is ready for the Nations Championship clash in Johannesburg on 4 July.
Caluori has had a breakthrough season in the Premiership, scoring 18 tries in just nine appearances.
“As a coach, sometimes you see something in a young player which makes you stop and go: ‘Wow!’” Woodward writes.
ALSO: Genge targets Bok scrum after RWC ‘hammering’
“There can be no doubt Caluori has been the breakthrough sensation… These are the sort of ‘wow’ moments… you simply cannot ignore.
“I would bring him straight into the team for England’s next game – the blockbuster clash with South Africa in July,” he adds.
“The first is that Caluori clearly has the skills… The second is that only by playing him can you find out what he can do.”
How on earth has Noah Caluori finished this?!
This guy is something else
Stream @TNTSports with @HBOMax_UK pic.twitter.com/2cThkLU48m
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 25, 2026
Woodward drew comparisons with the legendary Jonny Wilkinson, who the former tactician backed as a teenager.
“I gave an 18-year-old Wilkinson his Test debut… Was he ready to play internationally at that point? Probably not. But was it the right thing to do? Undoubtedly, yes.”
England boasts depth on the wing, including the likes of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Tom Roebuck and Henry Arundell.
Woodward believes that partnering Caluori with Feyi-Waboso would give England the firepower to take down the Boks.
“Some people would say… that would be brave, or even brainless. But as a coach, you have to be more pragmatic… looking at only the facts,” he writes.
Photo: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
The post Woodward picks bolter for Bok blockbuster appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
