Where were you when England lost to South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final?

The Harlequins scrum-half had missed out on selection for the tournament in Japan. Was it nerves as an England fan, or because he wanted to be there and did not want to miss out?

“Probably the latter,” he answered. “I remember being blown away by how incredible the lads were that day [when they beat New Zealand in the semi-finals].

“When it got to the final, my wife said ‘what do you want to do?’ I said ‘I don’t think I can watch it’.

“That was the only time it probably hit me what I was missing out on – the chance to play for your country in a World Cup final, which was tough to take.”

But on Saturday, when the sides meet again in the 2023 semi-finals in Paris, Care is likely to be in the thick of the action.

The 36-year-old has featured in four of England’s five games in France, including Sunday’s nail-biting quarter-final win over Fiji.

“We’re sat here as one of four, one team has to win it. Why not us?” he said. “It’s been quite methodical, our thinking, but it’s worked.

“We’re only focusing on this weekend and we’ve said it the whole time – you can’t look any further than this game, especially against the world champions.”

England may need ‘best game of our lives’

South Africa are aiming for a record fourth Rugby World Cup success and hope to become only the second team, after New Zealand in 2011 and 2015, to win successive tournaments.

The Springboks lost in the pool stage to Ireland, but made it through to the last four courtesy of their victory in a stunning quarter-final against France and are considered favourites to reach the final.

“We know we’re going to have to play the best game, probably of our lives, definitely the best game of this tournament, if we’re going to get through to the final,” added Care.

“We’ve got so much respect for them as a team, the way they play the game is incredible, some of their players are unbelievable, and they’ve got the pedigree and they know how to win World Cups.

“It’s a hell of a test for this team, but the boys are buzzing to be here and get stuck in.”

‘They will have some beef with us’

South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus is taking nothing for granted against an England side he believes will want revenge for their loss in the 2019 final.

“They have so many experienced players that played against us last time,” said Erasmus.

“I think because they’ve played us in the World Cup final they will have some beef with us. I think they will be very physical, I think they will definitely step it up at all set phases.”

Fly-half Handre Pollard added: “You could see on their faces four years ago the disappointment and I’ve been part of a squad that’s fallen out in a semi-final in a World Cup [in 2015] and it sits with you the rest of your life.

“There’s a lot of things you look back on and regret and maybe think you could have done differently, and I’m sure they will come with that mindset this weekend.

“I think they will be ruthless, I think they will take their intensity and physicality to a whole new level. But that being said, we’re prepared for that, we’re ready for that and we enjoy that.

“That’s always a part of the game we love and if there’s going to be beef, there’s going to be beef.”

England have ‘free shot’ to reach final – Grayson

England are the only semi-finalists to have won all five of their games at this World Cup.

Steve Borthwick’s side endured a poor run of results prior to the tournament, but former fly-half Paul Grayson believes the team has “progressed” in France and could thrive in the role of underdogs.

Grayson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “They’ve obviously been working incredibly hard. What they want to deal with is the facts, and the facts are they’ve won every game they’ve played.

“In the first do-or-die game against Fiji, they almost got themselves in a spot of bother, but then had the nous, the experience and the will to get themselves out of it and win that game, which means they’ve progressed and you can do no more than that in tournament rugby.

“They’re not here to necessarily win friends and influence people. If they won the World Cup, the impact would be absolutely massive.

“They’ve got to the semi-final, they’re confident that what they’re doing is right, they know the size of the task and it’s a free shot for England because few people will give them a chance of winning.

“Sometimes, as a sportsperson, that’s just the motivation you need.”