England arrive in New Zealand with NO fear ahead of two-Test series... as Steve Borthwick's side promise not to be overawed by reputation and home record of the Kiwis
- England kicked off their summer tour with a 52-17 victory over Japan in Tokyo
- The Red Rose now head to New Zealand to take on the Kiwis in a two-test Tour
- Steve Borthwick's side have promised not to be overawed by the task at hand
No fear. That is England’s mind-set as they arrive in New Zealand, for the first time in a decade. They will respect the calibre of the All Blacks but refuse to be psychologically beaten before the two-Test series even starts.
Gone are the days when English teams and others from the distant north were psyched out by the reputation and home record of the formidable, often imperious Kiwis. The course of oval-ball history is littered with examples of touring teams failing to shake off a sense of impending doom as they reached the land of the long white cloud, but times have changed.
Two years ago, Ireland lost their opener against the All Blacks and went on to claim an historic 2-1 series victory. For their part, England have no recent scars from this box-office rivalry and there is also a concerted desire to cast their opponents as mere rugby mortals, with similar qualities and vulnerabilities as their own.
The ultimate indication of this bullish attitude within Steve Borthwick’s squad – buoyed by their eight-try, 52-17 rout of Japan last Saturday – came from one of the newcomers in the ranks, 21-year-old Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. It would have been understandable if he had been awe-struck when speaking about the daunting assignment ahead, but he wasn’t.
Asked about the aura around New Zealand’s sporting icons, he said: ‘The All Blacks are the All Blacks, but they are human as well. As a fan you put them on a pedestal, but as a rugby player you have to keep them grounded and yourself grounded. Everyone is the same; just good rugby players. When you speak to players who have played against them, they don’t put them on a pedestal and you just follow suit.’
Steve Borthwick's England are arriving in New Zealand with no fear ahead of a two-Test series
England thrashed Japan 52-17 on Saturday to kick off their summer tour in the perfect fashion
But they face a tougher task against the home record of the formidable, often imperious Kiwis
If England are to have a chance of spoiling Scott Robertson’s first campaign as the new head coach of the All Blacks, a lot of responsibility will rest on the shoulders of Ben Earl. The No 8 has become a talismanic figure since breaking into the starting XV last summer and he is a confident character. The rampaging Saracen recognises the scale of the task, but can’t wait to take it on.
‘We’re really looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘I’ve not been before and we are playing against one of the best teams in the world. Barely any of us have played New Zealand before, and those who have say it is an amazing occasion.
‘As a player, it’s a bucket-list thing to do. As a keen cricket fan, what do they say, “Runs in an away Ashes always count double”. That is a nice slogan for us to take with us to that neck of the woods.’
England have not lost to New Zealand since being edged out 16-15 at Twickenham in November, 2018. The following year, they produced arguably the greatest performance in Red Rose history to overwhelm the Kiwis in a World Cup semi-final in Yokohama, with a 19-7 win for the ages. And two years ago, England fought back from a glaring deficit to draw 25-25 at home. On top of that, captain Jamie George and Maro Itoje were in a Lions side which drew a series in New Zealand in 2017.
So, there is no trace of an inferiority complex. ‘Everyone in our squad who has had the experience of playing against them has had quite positive memories recently and that’s definitely something we can feed off,’ added Earl.
Sam Underhill was a key figure in the side assembled by Eddie Jones which reduced the All Blacks to a state of disarray in the Far East in 2019. When pressed to look back on that glorious episode and reflect on what can be taken from it, the Bath flanker expressed some qualified satisfaction, but the thrust of his message was that he prefers not to look back at all. He wants to move on and repeat the feat, rather than wallowing in memories of doing it before.
‘I don’t know if any New Zealand fans are still talking about games played by New Zealand from five years ago,’ he said, pointedly. ‘They’re probably talking about the last tournament or the last game. You don’t get shots at them very often and when you do, if you do well, you remember it. That’s a mark of respect to them as a team and as a rugby-playing nation.
‘There’s a comfort in nostalgia; it’s happened, no-one can take it away from you, “well done, you did really well”. But, ultimately, you have to completely park that. There’s no credit, you’ve got to go again and that’s the hard part of the sport.’
Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso summed up the bullish attitude within Borthwick's squad
England put in arguably the greatest performance in Red Rose history to overwhelm the Kiwis in a World Cup semi-final in Yokohama, Japan, back in 2019, after a 19-7 win for the ages
Borthwick is leading this southern crusade with a desire to ensure that his squad set out with more hope and expectation than was often the case during the head coach’s playing days and over many decades before that. In that regard, he has cause to be grateful for the impact of Jones, who comprehensively altered the English mentality in relation to these summer tours.
The Australian demanded a no-excuse attitude and an absolute conviction that success was possible, beginning Down Under when his Red Rose side lived up to his pre-series billing by whitewashing the Wallabies. Two years later, in 2018, England lost 2-1 in South Africa, but there is no longer a mental barrier caused by flying over the equator at the end of a long season.
His successor has a positive outlook ahead of Tests in Dunedin on July 6 and Auckland in July 13, saying: ‘What I’m sensing is that younger players are much more about themselves, this team, what we’re aiming to do and what we can do and less about the opposition. I think that’s a change over time. There’s a focus on, “We’re going to play the way we play”.
‘One of the things I do as a coach is talk about the experiences of the past. I want us to be different in the future. I’ve been in squads that have got on the plane with no real belief. There have been some series where that’s happened. I want this group of players to get on the plane excited about what we’re trying to do. Let’s take on the best teams and see what we can do.
‘When we step on the plane to New Zealand, I want there to be excitement. We have incredible respect for New Zealand and their players but there are also a lot of players who want to test themselves against the best and see how good they are. That’s the attitude I want them to have.’
INSIDE THE SUITCASE OF AN ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL...
Ben Earl is just one member of Steve Borthwick’s travelling party as England embark on the second leg of their summer tour.
Here is what the No 8 has in his carry-on bag from Tokyo to Auckland…
ESSENTIALS
- Compression socks
- Protein bar
- Chewing gum
- Anti-bac hand gel
- Ear plugs
- Polaroid (instant) camera
- Universal travel adaptor
- Power bank for mobile phone
- Crocs (navy blue)
EXTRAS
Books: Phil: The Rip-Roaring Biography of Golf’s Most Colourful Superstar – Alan Shipnuck; More than a Game - Phil Jackson
iPad watch list: Tour de France: Unchained (Netflix); The Night Agent (Netflix); The Dynasty: New England Patriots (Apple TV)
Laptop for assignment for his Masters in Sport Directorship (Manchester Metropolitan University) – Recent assignment was on the Saracens ticketing operation
Noise cancelling headphones
Podcasts: NRL 360; Six Tackles with Phil ‘Gus’ Gould
Whoop wristband (to keep tabs on sleep, recovery)
Whoop blue light blocking glasses
Green notebook – for logging training meetings, game reviews and game goals
Supplements: Magnesium, Zinc
(Everyone has one large suitcase + small cabin bag and a backpack to carry on. Travel wear is Umbro kit – hoodie, t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms)
Ben Earl at Tokyo airport, ahead of the England team's flight to Auckland
Borthwick opened up on the refreshing attitude within his squad and the lack of fear around
Marcus Smith impressed in Japan and will be key for England to be successful in New Zealand
In a way, by focusing on themselves rather than the opposition, England are adopting the long-standing Kiwi approach, but they will have an awareness of their rivals and a high regard for them, which has not always been mutual. When the national team last visited New Zealand 10 years ago, All Black lock Brodie Retallick infamously failed to name a single touring player and wrongly referred to Courtney Lawes as Michael Laws.
England have earned respect since, but Borthwick and his squad will strive to continue that process over the coming weeks. Setting about that objective without fear is essential. Their tone suggests they believe in their capacity to cause an upset and make a name for themselves.
