England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad 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 decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented 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 was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“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 unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how 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 sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” 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 will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
