“Kev spoke to us and so did Fabian, who spoke about being the best teammate, being selfless. When it comes to enduring pain and doing stuff for the team, you are being selfless.
“You are running when your body is telling you not to, you are getting up, getting off the line and hitting things hard. That’s a big part of rugby and the mental side that is not so obvious.
“You have to keep going and ignoring the little voice that is telling you to stop, because that is what’s best for the team.”
England go into the game following November wins over Australia and Fiji, with New Zealand, who have already defeated Ireland and Scotland this month, looking to maintain their bid for a Grand Slam of wins over the Home Nations ahead of next week’s encounter with Wales in Cardiff.
Veteran playmaker George Ford, tipped as a future Red Roses coach by Borthwick, the former England captain, has been given the task of steering the home side to victory, with Baxter a keen admirer of the 32-year-old’s tactical nous.
“George is so brilliant at communicating to the team about the bigger plan. That’s what I have been most impressed with,” the rookie front-rower said.
“It is such a hard skill to have but that is why he is a 100-cap international. I don’t know where it comes from, but he has got it.”
– AFP