England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
