England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
