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 triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included 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. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes 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 last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded 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 now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
