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 maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. 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—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud 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 without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
