England stand on the verge of a thrilling month of Test rugby. The traditional big three from the southern hemisphere are due at Twickenham as well as a Japan side who are always entertaining. It’s an exciting time for Steve Borthwick’s side and what they get out of four fixtures against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan is going to be a genuine representation of where they truly are.
We’ve seen highs and lows in the last year. It was a difficult period going into the Six Nations with the defeat by Scotland and then a huge bounce with a victory over Ireland and promise in defeats by France and New Zealand. Borthwick was given a grace period in the first year or so of his tenure – something that wouldn’t be afforded to his opposite number on Saturday, Scott Robertson – but this November series feels definitive for the England head coach’s tenure.
Borthwick and the players returned from New Zealand over the summer with a feeling of opportunities missed before the uncertainty that was caused by departures from the coaching staff. It leaves question marks over England. They have been a team who have been building but it’s time to see what they have built so far.
And there’s no better challenge than the coming fixtures, starting with the All Blacks. We don’t know exactly where New Zealand are at the moment but we know they are battle-hardened. I look at the England starting XV, however, and there is reason for excitement.
Every player, every team, likes certainty and security but the key is to implement it without slipping into complacency. I don’t believe that is a problem for England. There should be a sense of injustice among players who have missed out, those such as Alex Lozowski or Tom Willis, who can’t even get into the squad, because the player pool in England is so big. But that circles back to the loyalty that Steve is showing, which I completely understand, all the more so given the upheaval on the coaching staff.
There can be no denying that Felix Jones and Aled Walters are world-class operators. If you were picking the coaching ticket for the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia next summer then those two would be involved – they are among the leading coaches in Great Britain and Ireland. It’s disappointing they have resigned and it is telling that the players have spoken publicly about how disappointed they are. It is gutting.
Jones turned England’s defence into one of the most aggressive on the world stage in the space of only seven months. He gave the team an identity, a fear factor – other teams would be wary of how England get off the line, they would adapt their gameplan because of it. To lose that is huge, so it’s crucial that England stick by what they were doing and having Henry Slade in the side is integral to that. Having consistency and continuity in the playing squad makes obvious sense and in that regard I understand why Slade starts despite his lack of game time after injury.
I also believe that the recently announced enhanced contracts for 17 England players is a significant step forward towards continuity and cohesion. We may not see the benefits of it immediately but they will create really healthy competition within the squad. Everyone wants to play for England and everyone wants to have an enhanced contract. I often think that players can get massively distracted when they have two different masters but it feels like there is more of a unified approach now. Borthwick has this ability and autonomy when it comes to strength and conditioning and everything.
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Financially, they are incredibly valuable. When we talk about player welfare we rarely talk about the financial side of things but an enhanced contract means meaningful and guaranteed money. It can alleviate stress, it allows players to plan and, if that lifts the burden for some, that’s amazing. It also allows everyone to make better decisions because, of course, there have been examples in the past where players would be carrying niggles and perhaps the best thing would have been to sit out – but they do not want to lose their match fees.
There was a great example during the Six Nations when Immanuel Feyi-Waboso effectively ruled himself out of a match due to a head injury. That was such a mature decision and the hope must be that we will see more of it when the situation calls for it.
Back to the here and now, however, and if England are going to seal a first home win over the All Blacks in 12 years, the final quarter is going to be pivotal. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that if George Ford had been on the summer tour, England would have come away with at least one victory. You only need to look at the performances from Beauden Barrett off the bench to see what Ford could have done for England. It doesn’t automatically translate but it demonstrates what that experience among your replacements can do. The fact that he is there for this game gives me reasons for optimism if England can find themselves in a similar position with 20 minutes to go.