Stuart Lancaster believes that South Africa are undergoing a similar transition period to the one that England experienced after the 2011 World Cup.
The Springboks, under new coach Heyneke Meyer, will field a new-look side against England on Saturday as a result of numerous retirements and injuries.
Lancaster expects the new South Africa chief to learn quickly and hopes that his side are further down the line in the revamping phase.
"It is a very similar position to when we announced our new squad for the Six Nations. We had 15 new players coming in and about 10 days to prepare properly for the first game," said Lancaster.
"You focus on the reason why you want to play for each other and back the sense of 'teamship' and you have also got to focus on the technical and tactical aspects as well.
"But I am sure they will be very well prepared for us. They had plenty of time to look at us in the Six Nations. We have got eight or nine Leicester players who have worked under him [Meyer], so we have got an insight into him as a coach.
"But equally, the beauty of this tour is that we play each other three times in three weeks. We are going to know each other inside out by the end of it. It is more about who learns quickly during the games."
The first match takes place between the two sides this Saturday in Durban.
