England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
