England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “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 competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
