England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, 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. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got 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, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
