England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, 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 Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “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. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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 closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing 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
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
