England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present 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, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
