England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put 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 good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel 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 the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
