It takes a long time to learn 'the dark arts'

SO IT was a second defeat in New Zealand for an England team that promised so much and yet failed to take on board the lessons from their first game, perhaps being a little too confident in what they had previously achieved in that game and the game against Japan.

- JEFF PROBYN

As an international player you have to have confidence that you can do what you have been selected to do and fulfil your duty to the team. But you must also show respect for your opposition and not overstate what you intend to do during the game and keep ‘your powder dry’ until you are actually in the game.

Over the past few weeks we have heard about how the England team were going to show New Zealand, in the words of Captain George ‘just who we are’ in effect bragging about an England team that is just finding its feet. After the semi-final defeat in the RWC and finishing third in the Six Nations and introducing new players to the squad which has seen England grow as a team, but there is still some way to go before they are the finished article.

As good as England were in both the games, the results showed the England squad are not yet the team that they thought they were. The mistakes made in preparation for the second Test saw England again showing a lack of discipline that allowed the opposition to put points on the board and then win both games.

For New Zealand, it’s a positive start for new coach Scott Robertson and his team as they head into the Rugby Championship and face the unhappy current world champions, South Africa who have just lost against Ireland.