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 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably 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 are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“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 raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
