England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
