Springboks legend questions whether England centre should be in the team

After the Springboks' convincing 45-21 victory over England at Ellis Park, former South Africa internationals De Villiers, Schalk Burger, and Hanyani Shimange analysed the match, with England's midfield selection becoming a major talking point.

Steve Borthwick has faced criticism for his handling of England's centres, regularly rotating players at inside and outside centre rather than settling on a consistent partnership.

That approach has left no player with enough opportunities to truly establish themselves in the role.

Atkinson was making just his fifth England appearance against the Springboks and started alongside Tommy Freeman, who has only featured sparingly at outside centre and is more commonly used on the wing.

A former Springboks captain, De Villiers earned more than 100 Test caps and was part of South Africa's 2007 Rugby World Cup winning squad. However, he suffered a torn biceps in the opening match of the tournament and played no further part in the campaign.

Speaking on the Verdict podcast, De Villiers questioned Atkinson's qualities as an international inside centre.

"The thing with Seb Atkinson, and I haven’t seen a hell of a lot of him, but you need to ask the question: what’s his point of difference as a 12 in an England team?"

"What’s he going to bring that’s really going to put the opposition under pressure? And what does he do so much better than any of the others that could have been selected? And I’m struggling to find that thing. You need gain-line."

Burger then suggested England may need a more powerful presence in midfield.

"Benhard Janse van Rensburg is out of the question; he is playing next week when he is eligible, but like, do they need something like a Tuilagi or Ojomoh?"

De Villiers agreed with the suggestion, replying: "If you have that, yes."