England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
