England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago 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 put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams 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 eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
