England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put 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 quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
