England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats 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 hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
