England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks 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.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do 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 before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match 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 Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
