England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“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 appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out 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 possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad 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 priceless lessons.”
