England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
