England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory 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 matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said 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 playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
