England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those 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 the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour 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 best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, 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 interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
