England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all 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 at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests 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. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from 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, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
