England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
