England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, 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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games 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 named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad 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 valuable lessons.”
