England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said 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 this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, 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. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said 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 will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
