England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
