England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud 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. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out 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 placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “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 going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
