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 triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
