England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
