England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter 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.”
