England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star'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 three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
