England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. 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 sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented 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 valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
