I know what people are saying because I have been asked enough about it already. “Underdogs”, “the 1998 Tour of Hell revisited” – all of that. First, I should say that we have not really wasted much time thinking about it – why should we? What could we gain from dwelling on such a negative way of thinking?

But I will address it nevertheless because I think it is important for the public to understand what it is that drives a team like ours, how we prepare for what we know is going to be a massive examination of character and ability and why we really believe we will come out on top against South Africa.

First of all, it has been really good working with this new group of players. There have been no egos at all and everyone is acting unselfishly on behalf of the common cause. I guess that’s the real spin-off from having such a new unit. There’s no complaining, there’s only a sense of sticking together.

And yes, we know we’ve been written off and I guess that has also been essential in bringing this sense of closeness and unity. I’m not saying that it took being written off to develop bonds, but it does make you feel strongly about who we are as a group and it has certainly bred pride.

And while we understand that the odds may be against us – even more so after the sickness that has spread through the camp in the past few days – there are some really big positives to be taken from a squad that has come together like this. You see new leaders come to the fore: Jason Robinson, in particular, leading the show in the way that makes him feel proud.

But other names have taken a step forward. People like Andy Gomarsall and Peter Richards, who have taken it upon themselves to give their views whenever needed. Mark Regan has been doing his bit, Jamie Noon is the kind of guy who will fight to the bitter end and guys such as Nick Easter and Alex Brown have been strong, too. It has been interesting to see who steps forward like this; we might not have seen it from players like this had we not been in these somewhat unusual circumstances.

But as I say, that is all a kind of preamble. It is an important preamble – really important – because it is on such foundations that good teams and performances are delivered. However, it will count for nothing if we don’t take that strength into the game today and really believe in it and thrive on it. Because today’s game is going to be played at a high pace and there will be testing circumstances – no one is under any illusions about that.

However you mask it, rugby – and big challenges like today’s match – really come down to how much you believe in yourself. If deep, deep down you actually do not really believe, if you start to entertain doubts, then this underdog thing can perhaps be a bit comforting, something to hide behind.

If, on the other hand, you do believe in yourselves and what you can achieve as a collective, then the underdog tag works the other way – it motivates you and can help inspire you to great things.

I guess we will discover for real which way everyone is going to go this afternoon. But I can promise you two things. First, never once have I ever thought about damage limitation or keeping the score down or that we might lose before we have even started, because it would be pointless playing if that were the case.

Secondly, every question asked of our squad here so far has been answered in the right way, so I have no reason to doubt that anyone else is any different. No one appears to be going through the motions.

But the real test is when the heat is on. A lot depends on working for each other, never turning inwards, never reacting badly when circumstances go against you. Rugby is rarely better than when you have a group of players who all feel that way and play that way together. As we go into this game, that is how we feel and that is why the concept of underdogs has barely been raised.