England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class 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 competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current 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 seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
