England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, 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 included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
