England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those 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 next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
