England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware 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.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel 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 Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
