Saracens prop Mako Vunipola is hoping to take his club form into Englands autumn international series and is relishing a chance to get stuck into South Africa on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1. Jonathan Isaac Jersey . The Saracens prop has been in impressive form and his recent performances in the Champions Cup earned him rave reviews. England vs South Africa November 12, 2016, 2:00pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass From being second in the tackle count against Toulon (his brother Billy was top) to scoring a great try against the Scarlets, it seems England have a prop who can do it all. And while he feels a little uncomfortable with all the plaudits, he admits that he is loving his rugby at the moment. Im not sure if the backs are getting tired of me always being in the way, but I am really enjoying my rugby at the moment, Vunipola told skysports.com.Scoring that try against the Scarlets was great but if I had a choice I would say its better to dominate your opponent at the scrum than scoring tries - if you can do that, then you can really give your team a platform to build on. Mako Vunipola scores a great try for Saracens against Scarlets Its tough these days though as you have to work really hard to get one over your opponent - but when you do, its a really satisfying moment.Its nice to hear people appreciate what I am doing on the pitch but rugby is not about one person and I am lucky enough to be in a great side who are all playing well.England kick off their autumn series against South Africa on Saturday and although they have not beaten the Boks in 10 years, Eddie Jones men are still the favourites to extend their match-winning streak to ten.The Boks are in a re-building phase and they have lost four of their last five Tests, however Vunipola says they are still one of the toughest opponents out there and England will have to be ready for a bruising battle.South Africa are a very physical side - you can never underestimate them, added Vunipola, who will win his 36th cap if selected. Watch Now TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Their record against us stands for itself. They may have slipped down the rankings but we know on Saturday that the best prepared South African team is going to turn up. They will be wounded after the Rugby Championship and have everything to fight for.Its always a big game between England and South Africa and we expect a very tough challenge. Form and rankings go out the window and its going to be a brutal challenge.Our coaching staff will analyse what the Boks have been doing but for us its a case of knowing what our game plan is and implementing that. We know what their strengths are - that physicality that they bring, so we will really need to match that.Strong DefenceDefence will be key on Saturday and Vunipola, who likes a tackle, says league coach Jason Ryles has given them plenty of ideas after joining the England coaching team for the autumn.Obviously I work hard on the technical stuff of a scrum and aim to get better at that but Ive also be working a lot on my defensive role with Jason Ryles, who has come in from the NRL. Hes brought in some different tackle techniques and given us a few ideas of what say the second man in does. Jason Ryles puts England through their defensive paces Vunipola was one of the stars of the summer series where England whitewashed Australia along with the likes of James Haskell and his Saracens team-mates George Kruis and Maro Itoje.With Kruis and Itoje out injured, Vunipola will have a different lock partnership packing down behind him but says whoever Jones picks will be up for the job.One of the biggest parts of international rugby is getting to know each other and how we all play. The quicker we can do that, the better - obviously playing with George and Itoje at Saracens has been a huge help for me as we know each other so well.Their injuries have been a big blow for them but we have Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes as well as Dave Attwood and Charlie Ewels. We are well covered there and the competition for the second row is really fierce.Down to a teeApart from working on his propping skills and defence, Mako is also a big fan of kicking the ball, which did not go down too well with England and Sarries team-mate Owen Farrell. Owen Farrell gives Vunipola some kicking tips during England training I like to kick the ball - a lot. I get a lot of stick for it and Faz used to get annoyed when I kicked all the balls he was using to practise with, said Vunipola.But Ive joined in with him now and hes actually given me one of his kicking tees. After training we have a bit of a kicking practice - we have a bit of a competition going but as you would expect hes totally dominating it.Hes giving me a few pointers and you never know, one day I may get the call!Watch England v South Africa live on Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday from 2pm. Watch on NOW TV for £6.99. No contract. Also See: England trio up for top award Lawes winning fitness battle Stuart Barnes talking points Team of the week Penny Hardaway Jersey . Raymond, 31, started 15 regular-season games for the Stamps in 2013, racking up 51 tackles. He also returned two kickoffs for 79 yards including a 61-yarder. Evan Fournier Jersey . The league-leading New York Rangers outhit and outmuscled the Maple Leafs during a 3-0 victory on Saturday. Backup goalie Martin Biron stopped all 20 shots he faced to complete a nice workmanlike effort by the visitors. http://www.magicauthenticshop.com/Authentic-Tracy-Mcgrady-Magic-Jersey/ . It was a move of some time in the making. “He hasnt thrown well, clearly some guys are being used more than him right now and the only way to get out of this funk is to pitch,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos.TORONTO - As DeMar DeRozan finished addressing the media ahead of Friday nights game, the first time hes spoken publicly since going down with his injury last week, one reporter pointed out hell need some new suits. DeRozan has missed the Raptors last four games with a torn tendon in his groin and will be a spectator for the foreseeable future. But the 25-year-old All-Star guard and iron man did not watch his teams 105-91 loss to Cleveland from the bench. He stood in the tunnel for some of it but spent most of the night sitting in front of a television. He watched the previous three games from his couch, as the Raptors were out West, and had avoided sitting on the sideline during the three contests he missed last season. Its not for a lack of leadership or interest on his part. Its also not for a lack of suits. Its simply too difficult for him. Thats been the biggest adjustment as he continues to recover from the first serious injury of his five-plus year career. Its definitely tough, just for me personally, the Raptors leading scorer admitted before Fridays game. Im used to being out there. Its more just frustrating than anything, because I always want to be out there every single night with my teammates. DeRozan had missed just 11 of a possible 394 games over his first five seasons and into his sixth. A self-made star, he has become known for his relentless work ethic, a player that has spent countless hours in the gym each day for the bulk of his life. Now, hes got a bunch of time on his hands and, understandably, its driving him crazy. Where does he spend most of his time? On the couch, he responded. If theres no basketball game on Im playing Madden. Thats been my day, every single day, just to keep my sanity. I dont have a choice now. Its different when you have a choice but I dont have no choice now. Ive just got to stay positive and just become more of a student and grow mentally. Just because hes not watching from the bench doesnt mean hes not watching. DeRozan hopes to use this time as an opportunity to see the game in a new light. Dwane Casey has asked him to sit in on the coaches meetings, something hes looking forward to doing. Hes just happy to get off the couch. I think this is going to definitely help me out mentally, just becoming more of a student of the game and really scouting and looking at the game a different way, he said. Just understanding a lot more about the game, outside of being a basketball player, honestly. Seeing how coaches approach the game. DeRozan sustained the injury a week ago, slipping and falling awkwardly in a loss to the Mavericks. Toronto has split the four games hes missed, scoring over 120 points in two of them. But they could have used him Friday. With the Cavs in town, the Raptors red-hot offence turned ice cold in a hurry. Amir Johnson aside - he scored a season-high 27 on 11-for-15 from the field - Toronto struggled to find any kind of rhythm. We go from a game at altitude [in Utah], where we shoot 57 per cent and tonight we couldnt buy a bucket, Casey said after his team shot a mere 41 per cent against Cleveland. We couldnt hit the side of a barn with a bass fiddle. Its one of those things that you look at the schedule and you kind of expect that. But were better than that. I know this team tonight wasnt us, he continued. First game back from a west-coast trip, the [last] team you want to see is a team as talented as Cleveland. Two weeks ago it was DeRozans surprising defence on James and his big second-half effort that helped the Raptors erase an early 18-point deficit to knock off the struggling Cavaliers in Cleveland. They havent lost since, winners of six in a row. Even without DeRozan, this is a deep team that should have enough talent to steal at least half their games and compete more often than not. But against the leagues best, theyll need all hands on deck. This is a tight-knit group and the chemistry theyve built over the last year is something DeRozan values now more than ever. Its definitely helpful, DeRozan said. Amir texted me one night, couple nights ago and he just said he was walking down the hotel hallway screaming my name and he was used to me popping my head out the door. Something like that goes so far because it just shows the appreciation that your teammates have for you and the relationship that you have together. It keeps him integrated with the team, added Kyle Lowry, who has picked up the slack with his teammate out, scoring 22 in the loss to Cleveland. I think when youre still integrated with the team you dont feel as lonely. It can get lonely not traveling with the team, not being with the team but our growth and the relationship with our teammates, were like family. The Raptors still dont have a timetable on DeRozans return to the court. Surgery is not being considered, instead theyre taking a patient approach to his recovery, reevaluating his progress on a week-to-week basis. Im feeling better each day, he said. Just trying to stay off it as much as I can, get as much rest as I can, continue to eat well and just let it heal. I always looked at it like it could be worse. It could be a lot worse. Im still going to come back, Im still going to play. Returrn of T-Mac Tracy McGrady isnt the first controversial former Raptor to be honoured as part of the teams continued 20th anniversary celebrations, and likely wont be the last. Mario Hezonja Jersey. When its all said and done, theyll have paid homage to something in the neighbourhood of 15 players from their past and the unfortunate reality is you can probably put an asterisk next to most of their Raptor tenures. Some of them werent here long, some didnt win enough, some left on bad terms. McGrady checks all three of those boxes. The ninth overall pick in 1997, Torontos third ever first-round selection, McGrady spent three seasons north of the border before bolting for his hometown in Orlando ahead of his 22nd birthday. Drafted straight out of high school, he didnt play a prominent role until his third season for the Raptors first ever playoff team. Like his former teammate Vince Carter, McGrady has been booed each time hes returned to the Air Canada Centre as a visiting player, but his case is a little bit different, having left as an unrestricted free agent. The way it ended with me and it ended with [Carter] was totally different, said the retired 15-year NBA vet. I mean, I just left to go play [at] home, it was no hard feelings or anything involved. It was a little bit different for him because of the statements that he made a little bit later on. Same as his distant cousin and the rest of the teams honourees to this point - Alvin Williams, Antonio Davis and Jalen Rose - McGrady was given a standing ovation after a video tribute was shown on the big screen early in Friday nights game. Speaking ahead of tip-off, McGrady expressed some regret over his decision to escape Carters shadow and move on so early in his career. Looking back, yeah, I wish I would have stayed, because I didnt expect myself to pan out to be that type of player that I turned into, said the seven-time All-Star, who went on to win two scoring titles with the Magic before spending five seasons in Houston. And to team up with Vince and what we built there, if you listen to Kobe [Bryant], if you look back on what Kobe said a while back, he said had I stayed here we probably would have been playing the Lakers in a couple of championships. So, I dont like to look back. It was great times here, I just felt like at the time... let me say this, if the organization was the way it is now back then, theres no way I would have left. And in the end, thats what it comes down to: closure. The Raptors are thriving as an organization and theyre off to their best start in franchise history. As they say, living well is the best revenge and with the team turning a corner, it seems some fans are finally able to let go. After all, perspective is important here. These arent jersey retirement ceremonies, theyre 60-second video montages. Hoping to lure stars to Toronto in the future, its important to the organization that they show some love to players of the past. Theres no question for me, said Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri. When I came here, you think about it and I know theres all the talk on how they left and all that stuff, but thats gone. Lets think about the future. These guys helped inspire young kids in Canada and look at where basketball is. Every young kid, prospects, they mention those guys and how they elevated them to get to play the game. So for me, 20 years, embrace it, man. Were lucky to have Tracy McGrady, were lucky to have Vince Carter, were lucky to the great fans that we have. Lets move on. Lets embrace the guys we have now and share it and move on. Giant of Africa Toronto laid out the red carpet Friday, welcoming basketball royalty to town for Ujiris event - The Giant of Africa - honouring the life of his hero Nelson Mandela. Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Dikembe Mutombo sat courtside and were among those in attendance as the Raptors turned their practice facility into a pre-game cocktail reception. On the first anniversary of Mandelas passing, Ujiri hosted the evening-long celebration of the late former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, also supporting the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Giants of Africa, his not-for-profit organization. The world is not in a good place, in my opinion, and [Mandela] makes it better, Ujiri said, tearing up. I think hes going to be bigger, even though hes passed. He was bigger than life. Its incredible. To see Magic, Dikembe, Charles, all these guys here, you cant ask for anything better, and they came just like that. Its touching for me. The Raptors welcomed all three NBA legends with highlight videos, each of them receiving a standing ovation from a sellout crowd. The team is one of the top two or three teams in the East, Johnson said of the Raptors. Theyre a powerhouse now, its no more the Raptors we used to know. Wed mark down, okay, theres two wins for us with the Raptors, we wont worry about them. Now, this is a serious Eastern Conference championship team so [Ujiris] built a wonderful team. Hes done a wonderful job but hes showing people also that he has a heart and soul and that the Toronto Raptors are not just about playing winning basketball, theyre also about touching the world and I love that. 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