England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “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. 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 arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. 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 that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
