Ex-England coach Clive Woodward has singled out where Steve Borthwick\u2019s side must improve if they are to defeat the All Blacks in the third match of their Autumn Nations Series.<\/p>\n
Borthwick\u2019s England stretched their winning streak to eight Test matches when they beat Australia in London last Saturday, and Woodward believes this run can extend to 10 on November 15 when the All Blacks visit after this weekend\u2019s clash with Fiji<\/a>.<\/p>\n England<\/a> finished up with a convincing 25-7 victory over the Wallabies but Woodward, the coach who led them to glory at Rugby World Cup 2023, believes a hurry up is needed in one particular area if Borthwick is to secure his first win over the All Blacks<\/a> since becoming head coach after the 2022 Autumn Nations Series resulted in the sacking of Eddie Jones<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jones\u2019 England snatched a 25-all draw against New Zealand<\/a> in his second-last match in charge three years ago, which still eclipses what the English have done in their three games under Borthwick against the Kiwis.<\/p>\n \u201cEngland weren\u2019t accurate enough\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n England lost 15-16 and 17-24 in Dunedin and Auckland in July 2024 on a two-match tour of New Zealand, and they also lost 12 months ago 22-24 at Twickenham in the most recent meeting between the two countries.<\/p>\n However, Woodward is now backing Borthwick to break his duck, provided some much-needed remedial work is done in the one area that he felt left much to be desired in the winning performance over the Wallabies.<\/p>\n Writing in the Daily Mail<\/a>, the ex-England boss said: \u201cSteve Borthwick\u2019s side were the better team and deserved victors. They can be happy enough, knowing that they can still improve significantly. And they will have to if they are to beat New Zealand later this month. The big area to work on and learning with the All Blacks in mind is the breakdown.<\/p>\n \u201cEngland weren\u2019t accurate enough at the contact area. In total, they conceded 13 penalties. Australia offered little as an attacking threat, but they stole back possession six times at the breakdown.<\/p>\n The Marcus Smith conundrum: Why Steve Borthwick will start him against Fiji, but does it matter where?<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTo a degree, you could expect a degree of rust from England given this was their first game and they had not had that much preparation time. To that end, a final score of 25-7 represents a convincing win. However, Borthwick will know the contact area numbers must improve.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia weren\u2019t able to punish England\u2019s inaccuracies and Fiji are unlikely to trouble them next week either. But you can bet your bottom dollar the All Blacks will. If England can\u2019t get clean possession against New Zealand, they won\u2019t be able to win. It must be an area of focus for Borthwick and his coaching staff in the build-up to that game over the next fortnight.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always maintained that to be a World Cup-winning team, your penalty count across 80 minutes must be in the single figures. The 13 conceded against Australia was too many. At the same time, too many of those 13 came at the breakdown.\u201d<\/p>\n November Test Team of the Week: Springbok at \u2018rampaging best\u2019 while England star makes \u2018mockery\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEngland had a kick-dominated game plan and that was savvy considering the impact rain had on the conditions. But even with that, they only won 59 rucks and lost eight of those. To be the team they want to be, England need to retain possession for long periods, stress defences and score as a result.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can\u2019t do that with breakdown inaccuracies. Their killer instinct and ruthless conversion of opportunities can also take a step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Woodward went on to praise England\u2019s strength in the carry and the \u201csignificant impetus\u201d of their bench, adding that the \u201cback-row resources are quite astonishing\u201d. Singling out the try-scoring Henry Pollock, he said: \u201cIn just two games for England, both of which have seen him start as a replacement, Pollock has three tries in only 36 minutes of action. That\u2019s impressive by anyone\u2019s book.\u201d<\/p>\n