England's skipper has warned that the team 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 over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, 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 George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 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 clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. 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 best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
