England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team'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 clashes at Twickenham.
George'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 incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. 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 multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
