England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand 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 must remember we’ll be back here 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 best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, 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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, 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, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
