Category: Rugby Union

• Team claimed 10th straight win against All Blacks

• ‘There’s a huge amount of growth,’ says Borthwick

George Ford has called on England to make sure their statement victory against the All Blacks is not a false dawn after Steve Borthwick’s side extended their winning run to 10 matches.

England have moved up to third in the world rankings after their impressive 33-19 win against New Zealand on Saturday and could go second next weekend should they defeat Argentina and Wales spring a surprise against the All Blacks.

• George gave Pollock starring role in reaction to All Blacks

• England moved into V-shape during traditional dance

Henry Pollock’s starring role in England’s response to the haka was designed by Jamie George, who revealed he took inspiration from the 2019 World Cup semi-final win and admitted they risked poking the bear before clinching a first home win over the All Blacks in 13 years.

George admitted he was the brains behind England’s decision to initially line up as usual while the All Blacks performed their traditional war dance before breaking out into a V-shape. As the eldest player in the squad, George was intentionally on one end with Pollock, the youngest, on the other. The captain Maro Itoje stood at the point of the V, which, in truth, looked more like a C-shaped formation.

A lack of experience has lessened the impact of the All Blacks as many key players are ineligible for selection after moving to Japan

Thursday afternoon, and the All Blacks are out on the training ground around the back of the Lensbury hotel on the banks of the Thames, it’s a warm autumn day, and the mood is pretty free and easy, Will Jordan is practising catching high balls, Beauden Barrett is taking shots at goal, the forwards are packing up after running some drills, head coach, Scott Robertson, is chatting happily with the media before his press conference. Someone asks if his team are looking to make a statement against England on Saturday, the sort that reminds everyone exactly how good they are.

“A statement performance?” Robertson says, perplexed. “We’re just looking for a result.” Time was when every All Blacks performance was a statement performance, and their head coaches didn’t go looking for results against England, or anyone else, they expected them. The remark hung in the air for a moment. It’s only Robertson’s manner. For 20 years the All Blacks press conferences have felt like being called in for an audience with the family patriarch in the back room of a wedding, Robertson’s are more like a catch-up chat with the uncle you are pleased to bump into at the buffet.

Steve Borthwick deserves credit for taking what was a real weakness of England’s and making it one of their strengths

Rugby union is a sport of trends and of unintended consequences and what I expect to be the two most decisive factors in England’s clash with the All Blacks on Saturday are inextricably linked. Much has been made of England’s firepower on their bench – New Zealand’s isn’t bad either – and when coaches are able to call upon such quality replacements, often en masse, then the kicking battle becomes all the more important.

Because the international game is not currently as fluid as it has been. That isn’t necessarily a criticism, it’s just the way things are at present; a little bit like the Premier League where set pieces and long throws are dominating. Of course we would all love to see flowing, attacking rugby but it’s really difficult because all elite sides favour having 13 or 14 men in the line, they all seem to adopt a blitz defence and the sheer level of physicality means it can be hard to have possession. It means that having a good set piece and a good kicking game are paramount and the emerging trend for “bomb squads” accentuates that because less fatigue is taking hold across 80 minutes. That isn’t to say there aren’t some magical moments when teams are on transition – Henry Arundell’s try against Fiji is a great example – but it is clear to me that things are a little old school at the moment.