England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably 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 this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
