England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said 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. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
