PARIS (AFP) - South Africa will back themselves in the World Cup final against England on Saturday but insisted they would not be complacent against a side boasting experience of having lifted the trophy four years ago.

The Springboks lined up a showdown with England after beating Argentina 37-13 in the semi-final on Sunday, while the English scored a late 14-9 victory over tournament hosts France the day before.

Ironically, South Africa played England in the pool stages, and posted a record 36-0 win although the English side was depleted by the loss through injury of Jonny Wilkinson and replacement outside-half Olly Barkley.

But Boks coach Jake White insisted: "We can't be complacent. England have got 10 guys who won the World Cup in 2003 and they are part of this group, guys like Wilkinson, Jason Robinson, Josh Lewsey, Mike Catt, Lawrence Dallaglio, Ben Kay and Phil Vickery.

"The reality is that they've been there, they've done it, they won the World Cup in Australia, away from home, so I don't think we can be complacent.

"Whatever happened in the pool game is irrelevant now," he added.

"After the pool games, lots of people thought England wouldn't even be in the quarter-finals, so it's down to the final and to be fair, England must be favourites because they won a World Cup final with this group of players."

White said that Wilkinson's return to fitness, aligned with the measured play of South African-born Mike Catt at inside centre, meant England's game was more structured than was this case in the pool match on September 14.

"When we played England then, they didn't have a fly-half. They played Andy Farrell and Mike Catt in channels 10 and 12, and it's part of why we were on the winning side.

"They've now got a settled fly-half, they've got Mike Catt back and you can see the difference. They definitely use the left and right foot kicking game with those two players very well."

White said that the Boks' 25-14 victory over England at Twickenham last year, which saved the coach his job, would be used as a motivating tool ahead of Saturday's game at the Stade de France.

"Psychologically, we played an England side that was the best they could put on the field at that time," he said in reference to a two-Test early summer tour to South Africa by a weakened England team.

"It's not just the fact that we beat England, it's also an opportunity for these players to put in their memory bank how important it is to win big games.

"There's no doubt that the performance at Twickenham is going to help us on preparation this week against England."

Backs coach Allister Coetzee said England would provide formidable opposition on Saturday.

"They have got a huge pack. They have got a good lineout, scrum, good at the breakdown but they can also play the wide game," he said.

"In the past they were lacking a bit of confidence and that's why they couldn't string three passes together but as we saw against Australia in the quarters they came out and took it a bit wide.

"They gained confidence and they might look at that against us too. They know they can play finals. They have been there. They know when to use that pack and when to use the kicking game."

Forwards coach Gert Smal said he had not been impressed by his side's front-five showing in the semi-final win over Argentina.

"For sure, that's one of the areas where we didn't perform well," he said, adding that England's scrum was "definitely one of their strengths".

"They have got quite a strong pack. But we will back ourselves on Saturday. I think in the previous game we stood fairly strong."