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 Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” 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 come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
