England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests 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 closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
