England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift 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 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear 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 coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
