England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing 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 players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
