England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
