karlpejera: Weary England must dig deep to end tour on a high against South Africa

? Stuart Lancaster's side desperate to head home with a win
? 'We can't afford to go to sleep again,' admits Mike Catt

England are reluctant to make excuses but a marathon season continues to exact its toll. The knee problem that has forced Alex Corbisiero's withdrawal from the side to face South Africa in the third Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is the latest untimely setback and further reduces the odds on the touring team avoiding a sobering 3-0 series defeat.

A growing number of players are buckling beneath a workload which, in some cases, has been ludicrously excessive. If Mouritz Botha appears as a replacement it will be the big man's 34th competitive game of the season, a huge number for a front-five forward. Research carried out by analysts in Cape Town suggests the optimum amount of game-time for a top-class player in a season is around 1,500 minutes, which equates to 19 full matches. Any more than that, reckon the experts, and consistency of performance starts to suffer.

Three-Test series also make heavy demands in terms of mental resilience, particularly against sides like South Africa who look a team starting to hit their straps. Heyneke Meyer's tenure has started purposefully, with none of the mixed messages of the Peter de Villiers regime. The Springboks take some stopping when everyone pulls in the same direction.

The only unanswered question is whether England can gain sufficient momentum from this tour to dole out a lesson or two of their own when South Africa visit Twickenham in November. As things stand the management are slightly disappointed the series has not been closer, which lends the final Test extra significance. If England, tired or not, can end with a flourish it could alter one or two external perceptions.

Within the camp, either way, the feeling is that the hard-edged experience gained on this tour will ultimately prove beneficial. Mike Catt, England's interim backs coach, says he has been hugely impressed with the work going on behind the scenes and draws comparisons between the Lancaster era and the Clive Woodward years. "It probably took Clive three years to get to where Stuart is now. That's how good it is," said Catt, back in his old home town where his long and eventful career began.

"I've been very impressed with the environment Stuart has created and the enthusiasm of the players. The players love being with England again, which is brilliant. Hopefully, in three or seven years' time the guys will look back at this tour and say it was the kick-start they needed to go on and be very successful."

Catt also gave every impression of wanting to stay involved in the England set-up beyond this weekend ? "It's been unbelievable, genuinely amazing. I've enjoyed every single second of it" ? but he also knows England cannot overlook the present. South Africa will miss the injured Willem Alberts but his replacement, Jacques Potgieter, is a local lad determined to make an impact. The stadium is also regarded as one of the noisier venues in the country and will feel almost as hostile as Ellis Park last Saturday. "When the big green machine starts rolling it's very hard to stop," said Catt.

"We can't afford to go to sleep and let them in. If you look at the past two games we've had 20-minute spells when we've let ourselves down. It's an unforgiving environment and the players will have an opportunity to show how much they've learned. We don't want to go and commit suicide and give them the opportunities they've had in the first two games."

With the elite player squad for next season to be announced in early July, there is also an incentive for several players to finish strongly. Alex Goode at full-back, Manu Tuilagi at inside centre and James Haskell, Tom Johnson and Thomas Waldrom in the back row should all make the cut next month but not if they simply go through the motions and England get flattened. Joe Marler has replaced Corbisiero as the starting loose-head, with Paul Doran-Jones promoted to the bench.

Toby Flood will also fancy a memorable 50th Test cap, as will Dylan Hartley who has replaced the injured Chris Robshaw as captain. "We didn't come down here saying we were going to win every game," said Hartley, well aware the Boks are chasing a 10th successive win over England. "But picking up a result will put us in the right direction and put down a marker to South Africa that, when they come to Twickenham, it's going to be a tough game."

Markers, learning curves, journeys; England continue to be world class at peering optimistically into the future. Lancaster has worked tirelessly to restore the damaged sweet chariot but, injuries and weariness notwithstanding, he could do with certain players making a difference today as well as tomorrow. If not, one or two could swiftly become yesterday's men.

England: Goode (Saracens); Ashton (Northampton), Joseph (London Irish), Tuilagi (Leicester), Foden (Northampton); Flood (Leicester), Care (Harlequins); Marler (Harlequins), Hartley (Northampton, capt), Cole (Leicester), Palmer (Stade Fran�ais), Parling (Leicester), Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Haskell (Otago Highlanders), Waldrom (Leicester).

Replacements: Mears (Bath), Paul Doran-Jones (Northampton), Botha (Saracens), Dowson (Northampton), L Dickson (Northampton), Farrell (Saracens), Barritt (Saracens).

South Africa: Aplon (Stormers); JP Pietersen (Sharks), De Villiers (Stormers, capt), Olivier (Bulls), B Habana (Stormers); M Steyn (Bulls), Hougaard (Bulls); Mtawarira (Sharks), B du Plessis (Sharks), J du Plessis (Sharks), Etzebeth (Stormers), J Kruger (Bulls), Coetzee (Sharks), J Potgieter (Bulls), Spies (Bulls).

Replacements: Strauss (Cheetahs), W Kruger (Bulls), F van der Merwe (Bulls), Kankowski (Sharks), Pienaar (Ulster), Jantjies (Lions), Basson (Bulls).

Referee: S Walsh (Australia).

Robert Kitson