England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak 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 a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, 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.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
