England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan 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 right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis 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.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
