England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have 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.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under 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 last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, 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 Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
