England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt 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 path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
