England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have 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 bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several 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 both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
