If England were to win in New Zealand on Saturday morning, it would be a massive scalp by anyone’s reckoning.
As an international player, you don’t get many chances to face the All Blacks in their own backyard, so my message to Steve Borthwick and his squad is to not let the opportunity pass by.
This summer’s two-Test series is the first time England have toured New Zealand in a decade. There is no stiffer challenge in rugby than what Borthwick’s side are about to face.
But I also firmly believe they can rise to the challenge and seal a truly famous success in Dunedin. The victory England secured in Wellington in 2003 was my ultimate match as coach. It’s the No 1 game I would replay if I could – not the World Cup final win later that year – because of how good the performance was, the calibre of the opposition, where it came, the conditions, and the adversity we faced before and during the game.
That was the last time England won in New Zealand. It is a statement of the obvious to say that to do it again, England will have to produce arguably their best performance of the Borthwick era.
For me, the centre pairing of Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade holds the key to the team’s chances of success. England need to nail their midfield combination.
It has held them back for so long. There has been so much chopping and changing in that area in the last four years or more, often because of Manu Tuilagi’s injury issues. Maybe it’s because I used to play there, but I believe the centres are the most important players on the pitch.
Forwards around the world will spit their tea out reading that! I accept no team can compete without a great pack, but star centres can make good sides great. They are the glue of any XV.
Your No 12 has to be your key attacker and communicator while the outside centre role is a crucial one defensively. Fly-halves are instrumental of course, but the centres are their ‘eyes and ears’.
Lawrence has shown for Bath he is a very good player, but can he take his game to another level? If he and Slade both play well and England play a quicker game than the All Blacks, I firmly believe they can win.
Slade is in fine form and is experienced at this level. But I think Lawrence can improve further. That’s not a criticism. In fact, it’s the opposite because in Lawrence I see huge, huge potential. In his first few games for England he barely touched the ball at a time when England were all at sea. It was a criminal waste of his talent. Borthwick needs to know if Lawrence can really boss an international match. As a 12, you have to do lots of talking and communicate with your fly-half.
When I was England coach, I was fortunate I had a wonderful player in Will Greenwood in that position. Greenwood was a master communicator and his timing was uncanny. His partnership with Mike Tindall was superb. Mike Catt was also an incredible 12, who held the shirt for most of 2000 and 2001 and it is no coincidence that is when Jonny Wilkinson found his feet on the international stage too.
Catt’s performances against Wales, France and at the death against Australia were perhaps some of the most important in our 2003 World Cup campaign. Recently, 12 has become associated with the term ‘ball carrier’ and ‘getting over the gain line’. I hate this. It is an artist’s position where subtlety and playmaking count for more than power.
Even the great Ma’a Nonu’s brain was as important as his brawn. Marcus Smith’s relationship with Andre Esterhuizen at Harlequins has been key to their success. Lawrence needs to build a similar one with Smith now.
He is more than capable of doing it. Lawrence will be the one England player I’ll be watching closely this weekend. If he has a great game, England have a superb chance of a famous win and I wish him every success. All the best teams in the world right now – think South Africa, Ireland and France – have brilliant centres and I’d be challenging Lawrence to prove he belongs in that company.
England and Borthwick are making all the right noises. For the first time in a long time, I’m excited about the team. Borthwick is growing in confidence. I like him taking the initiative in naming the team early. And England have plenty of pace and power in their side. I’ve always said if a team can win in Dunedin and Bloemfontein then they have something special about them. Saturday is England’s chance to prove they have that.
It is a wonderful weekend of sport, with England meeting Switzerland in the football at EURO2024 and Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix also on. England’s rugby stars need to make a statement and ensure they are a headline act alongside the footballers in Germany. I can’t wait for it all.
I’ll watch New Zealand against England at Lambourne Golf Club. Then I’m teeing off at 11am, will be back for South Africa’s game with Ireland, and then there’s the football. What a day it’s going to be!
Borthwick and his players have the potential to get it off to a great start. I get the sense Borthwick is now really realising as head coach he must get out of his comfort zone by setting England up to play a fast, attacking game. That is exactly where any national coach should strive to be.
I think he is a pragmatic coach but one who has realised England won’t win at Test level by adopting a one-dimensional strategy. For that, he deserves great credit.
With the roof closed in Dunedin for the first Test, conditions will be good which means England have a great opportunity to continue their attacking development.