England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
