Before heading to the airport for their 12,000-mile journey home, the England touring group took a ferry to Waiheke Island to enjoy lunch overlooking the Hauraki Gulf and sing a few songs.
After being on the move for 13 months, it was a well-deserved opportunity to relax and unwind together, accept another frustrating and jarring defeat and reflect on everything they’ve been through over the course of a marathon season.
It didn’t end the way they wanted, but given where they were last summer, England can take comfort in the feeling they are improving.
A lot has happened during a campaign that began last June when Steve Borthwick named his World Cup training squad. Soon after, the national team looked to be in a state of disarray after another comeback with two wins from five matches in the Six Nations.
They lost at home to Fiji, which was not an ideal send-off to the big world event, amid serious concerns about their fitness and their defence in particular.
A lot has happened during a campaign that began last June when Steve Borthwick named his World Cup training squad.
It didn’t end the way they wanted, but given where they were last summer, England could take comfort in the feeling that they are on the rise.
But the World Cup went better than expected. Ben Earl and Alex Mitchell became key men in the starting line-up, and then George Martin really came into his own in the latter stages of the tournament. England used several veterans, kept the game tight and almost went all the way. Their quest to win the title was impressive in the difficult circumstances.
After that came a significant revamp, with Owen Farrell stepping away from Test rugby and Jamie George taking over the captaincy, which he has handled with distinction. There was a dramatic and long-awaited tactical liberation midway through the Six Nations and that process has continued on this trip, in the eight-try rout of Japan before the painful back-to-back defeats to New Zealand.
Waking up here to the knowledge that Ireland had beaten the Springboks in Durban and drawn their series against the world champions away from home put England’s efforts into context. That is the exalted level they aspire to reach, but for now they are competitive, but not yet sharp enough to win more close games than they lose. England beat the formidable Irish at home but fell short against France in Lyon and twice here. Marginal pains.
When Borthwick returns home and takes stock, he will acknowledge that great strides have been made, but there is still a long way to go to develop. The strong points are the emergence of new talent, led by the lethal Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (who showed he could defend as well as run like a madman), Chandler Cunningham-South (heir to Courtney Lawes at blindside) and Fin Baxter (who immediately imposed himself at Test level).
But there remain gaps in England’s repertoire and in their signings. The manager knows he needs more influence in the front row. Dan Cole cannot stay in the team forever and the scrum was under pressure here. George needs real challengers at hooker. A resurgence of Luke Cowan-Dickie would be a vital boost for Borthwick, along with more convincing performances from the next-generation No2s – Theo Dan, Gabriel Oghre and Curtis Langdon.
There were too many glaring errors on Saturday that undermined England’s herculean effort to put so much pressure on the All Blacks before they retired for the summer. In the past, the final game of the tour has been too much of a game to handle, but not this time. They were in the game and had a glorious chance to make history at Eden Park, but there was a lack of cohesion in a tired team.
Key men who missed this tour should be back, including Ellis Genge, Ollie Chessum and George Ford.
There were too many glaring errors on Saturday that undermined England’s Herculean effort to put so much pressure on the All Blacks.
The next game is in November at Twickenham. George and Co believe they can turn things around and start to pick up more wins that would validate their clear progress. Relatively fresh and with home advantage, they should be favourites in the autumn, especially if Maro Itoje is fit and in top form for Saracens. He has been a World XV player again on this tour. Watching the top side climb back up the table has been one of the highlights of recent weeks.
Key players who missed this tour should be back, including Ellis Genge, Ollie Chessum and George Ford. Sale’s veteran fly-half will want to prove that, after producing a creative masterpiece as No. 10 against France in Lyon at the end of the Six Nations, he cannot be written off. Marcus Smith played well here, but the debate over who is the right manager will continue.
Borthwick places great emphasis on continuity in selection and that principle should apply more to the main playmaker role than most others, as it has a huge influence on the team’s eternal quest for fluidity. But England will begin next season with a familiar dilemma over that position, with a trio of contenders vying for its inclusion.
Farrell will not be in Racing 92, but Fin Smith has emerged as a young alternative to the other Smiths, Marcus and Ford. It is a complex conundrum that Borthwick needs to solve as one of his urgent priorities. He will also have to reconsider his left-prop hierarchy and the breakdown problems exposed by the All Blacks will resurrect a debate about the best balance in England’s back row, with Tom Curry able to improve the team’s presence in the ruck.
Fittingly, as they cross the equator again on their journey north, the Red Rose team can feel satisfied that they have come a long way, both in terms of performance and geography. But it is not enough. They were desperate to return home with a prized scalp, like Ireland, but it was not to be.
