England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests 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 finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”