England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, 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.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter 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.”
