England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George'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 the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed 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.”
