England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. 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 appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group 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,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
