England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
