England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during 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 keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams 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 going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
