don’t be afraid of This is the mentality of the British who arrived in New Zealand for the first time in 10 years. They respect the All Blacks’ ability but refuse to be psychologically beaten before the two-Test series even begins.
Gone are the days when England teams and other teams from the far north reveled in the reputation and home records of the powerful and often arrogant New Zealanders. The history of the oval ball is full of examples of touring teams unable to shake the feeling of impending doom as they reached the Land of the Long White Cloud, but times have changed.
Two years ago, Ireland suffered their first defeat against the All Blacks and went on to win the series historic 2-1. England have not been unscathed by the box-office competition of late and their shared desire to cast their opponents as mere rugby mortals with similar qualities and vulnerabilities.
The ultimate sign of this optimism from Steve Borthwick’s side, which hammered Japan 52-17 from eight tries last Saturday, came from one of the new signings, 21-year-old Exeter wing Emmanuel Pay-Waboso. It would have been understandable if he had been in awe when talking about the difficult mission ahead, but he was not.
When asked about the aura surrounding New Zealand’s sporting icon, he said: ‘The All Blacks are All Black, but they are human too. As a fan you put them on a pedestal, but as a rugby player you have to ground them and ground yourself. Everyone is the same. They’re just good rugby players. If you talk to players who have played against them, they don’t think highly of them and just go along with it.’
Steve Borthwick’s England arrived in New Zealand fearless ahead of a two-Test series.
England began their summer tour in perfect fashion with a 52-17 win over Japan on Saturday.
But they face a tougher task against the strong and often authoritarian home record of the Kiwis.
If England take the opportunity to ruin Scott Robertson’s first season as the All Blacks’ new manager, a lot of responsibility will fall on Ben Earl’s shoulders. The number 8 has become a talismanic figure since breaking into the starting XV last summer and is a confident character. The Rampant Saracens recognize the scale of the task, but they can’t wait to get it done.
‘We’re really looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘I’ve never been there before and we’re playing one of the best teams in the world. Few of us have played against New Zealand and some say it is an incredible opportunity.
‘As a player, this is something I should put on my bucket list. As ardent cricket fans, they say, “Ashes played away always count double”. ‘It’s a great slogan that we can take to the edge of the forest.’
England have not lost to New Zealand since losing 16-15 at Twickenham in November 2018. The following year saw the Red Rose achieve one of their greatest performances ever, dominating New Zealand in the World Cup semi-finals in Yokohama. A 19-7 win for the ages. And two years ago, England fought back from a huge deficit to draw 25-25 at home. Moreover, the Lions side that drew the series in New Zealand in 2017 had captain Jamie George and Maro Itoje.
Therefore, there is no trace of inferiority complex. ‘Everyone in our squad who has played against them has very positive memories of late and that’s definitely something we can take from them,’ added Earl.
Sam Underhill was a key figure in the side Eddie Jones assembled that left the All Blacks in disarray in the Far East in 2019. When pressed to look back on that glorious episode and consider what could be gained from it, the Bath Flanker expressed a degree of satisfactory satisfaction, but the crux of his message was that he wanted to avoid looking back at all. He wants to repeat the feat over and over again rather than wallow in memories of what he did before.
‘I don’t know if New Zealand fans are still talking about what New Zealand played five years ago,’ he pointed out. ‘They’re probably talking about the last tournament or the last game. You don’t give them shots very often, and when you do, you remember if you did a good job. It is a sign of respect for them as a team and as a rugby nation.
‘There is comfort in longing. It happened, and no one can take that away from you and say, “Well done, really good.” But eventually you have to park it completely. There is no credit. You have to go again and that’s the hard part of the sport.’
Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso summed up the optimism of the Borthwick team.
England achieved one of the greatest performances in Red Rose history, dominating New Zealand in the World Cup semi-finals in Yokohama, Japan in 2019.
Borthwick is leading the southern campaign with a desire to ensure his team starts with more hope and expectations than they often did during the manager’s playing days and the decades before. In that respect, he has reason to be thankful for Jones’ influence in bringing about a comprehensive change in the British mindset in relation to this summer’s tour.
The Australian required an unapologetic attitude and absolute certainty that success was possible. It started Down Under when his Red Rose side lived up to their pre-series billing by whitewashing the Wallabies. Two years later in 2018, England lost 2-1 to South Africa, but the mental barrier that comes with flying over the equator after a long season no longer exists.
His successor has a positive outlook ahead of the Tests in Dunedin on July 6 and Auckland on July 13. ‘What I feel is that the younger players can do less about themselves, this team, what we are aiming for and we can do less about the opposition. I think there is a change over time. The focus is “We’re going to play the way we play.”
‘One of the things I do as a coach is talk about past experiences. I hope we will be different in the future. I was part of the squad that boarded the plane with no faith whatsoever. There have been a few series where that has happened. I hope this group of players gets on the plane and is excited about what we’re trying to do. Let’s see what we can do against the best teams.
‘I hope you feel excited when you board the plane to New Zealand. We have enormous respect for New Zealand and its 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 England International’s suitcase…
Ben Earl is just one member of Steve Borthwick’s touring party as England begin the second leg of their summer tour.
Here’s what number 8 carries from Tokyo to Auckland:
bone
- Polaroid (instant) camera
- universal travel adapter
- Power bank for mobile phone
extra
books: Phil: An engrossing biography of golf’s most colorful superstar – Alan Shipnuck; More than a game – Phil Jackson
iPad Watchlist: Tour de France: Unchained (Netflix); Agent Knight (Netflix); The Dynasty: New England Patriots (Apple TV)
laptop Master’s Degree in Sports Supervision (Manchester Metropolitan University) – My most recent assignment was working on Saracens ticketing.
noise cancellation headphone
podcast:NRL 360; Six tackles by Phil ‘Gus’ Gould.
create wristband (To monitor sleep, recovery)
Ouch, blue light blocking glasses
green Notebook – Record training meetings, game reviews and game goals
supplements: Magnesium, zinc
(Everyone has one large suitcase + a small carry-on bag and a backpack to carry on. Travel clothing is an Umbro kit – hoodie, t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms)
Ben Earl at Tokyo Airport ahead of the England team’s flight to Auckland.
Borthwick opened up about the refreshing attitude within his team and the lack of fear around them.
Marcus Smith impressed in Japan and will be key to England’s success in New Zealand.
In a sense, England are adopting the time-honored Kiwi approach by focusing on themselves rather than their opponents, but they will also develop an awareness and high regard for their rivals that has not always been reciprocal. The last time the national team visited New Zealand a decade ago, All Black lock Brodie Retallick failed to name a single tour player, beating Courtney Lawes to Michael Laws. It was notorious for incorrectly referring to .
England have earned respect since then, but Borthwick and his team will be looking to continue that process over the coming weeks. Setting goals without fear is essential. Their tone suggests that they believe in their ability to get angry and make a name for themselves.
