England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
