SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The key lesson Fiji taught England ahead of their tough All Blacks test - and why Steve Borthwick should switch up his backline after a missed opportunity

England have now won nine consecutive Tests so my glass is undoubtedly half full at the very least when it comes to analysing Steve Borthwick’s side.   

Now comes their acid test against New Zealand. The All Blacks will really show us where this team is at. As we saw in their win over Scotland, Scott Robertson’s side are totally ruthless. 

They take almost every chance given to them. They simply never go away. It is a statement of the obvious to say they will be England’s toughest challenge of the autumn, but I am positive Borthwick and his players can claim a big scalp even if they will have to improve again on the back of their wins over Australia and Fiji this month. 

Firstly, a big 'well done' to Fiji. They were immense and are clearly a coming force internationally. They’ve always been dangerous. But now they really are a team capable of beating the best in the world. 

At Twickenham, we saw that clearly. I thought the nature of the final scoreline flattered England. 

Had Simione Kuruvoli not spilled the ball under pressure from Ben Earl and Marcus Smith when in the act of scoring, the result could have been very different. 

Make no mistake, this was a game Fiji could have won.

It is fantastic to see their growth as a team, even if their brilliant attacking play and physicality caused England supporters – including me – some serious anxiety!

Ultimately, England did well to rally and eventually pull clear. As they did against Australia on the opening weekend of November, the bench came on and had a big impact. 

Late tries from Henry Arundell and Maro Itoje put a gloss on the final outcome, but I still think England can go into the New Zealand game with confidence. 

As I wrote ahead of the game, I do wish Borthwick as coach had kept faith with the side that started against Australia. Although England won again, I’m not sure how much they learned. 

I thought Fin Smith, for example, was quiet at No 10 and I’d expect George Ford to come back into the side at fly-half for the All Blacks. 

England scored six tries and there can be no doubt they benefited from two Fiji yellow cards. 

While it might seem somewhat negative to focus on the areas England can improve on when they are on a good winning streak, it is vital they do so because it will take a performance close to perfection to beat New Zealand. 

Look at the way Scotland played against them. At one stage, an upset looked on in Edinburgh. But Gregor Townsend’s side didn’t take all of their chances and ultimately, paid the price. 

England can’t expect to win on Saturday if they do likewise. And in many ways, Fiji taught England a lesson in how to take opportunities when they come. They converted well, scoring some wonderful tries. 

I have been consistent in my view that I’m not totally convinced by England’s centre pairing. Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Lawrence started there against Fiji with Tommy Freeman on the wing. 

For New Zealand, I’d bring back Freeman at No 13. But he should never have been moved from there in the first place and that’s why I make the point that perhaps this game was a bit of a missed opportunity, with the All Blacks in mind. 

Freddie Steward, who missed this game, will hopefully be fit to return at full-back too. To become a potential World Cup-winning team, England have to nail down their first-choice XV and stick with it. 

As good as the replacements have been in the last two games, I’m not convinced by all this focus on the bench and international rugby being a 23-man game. 

That said, England can beat New Zealand. As much as midfield remains a conundrum for England to solve, the All Blacks aren’t at 100 per cent in that area either. 

While they undoubtedly have wonderful players, the loss of Jordie Barrett is highly significant because he is truly world class for Robertson’s men in midfield.