England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England'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 Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
