England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear 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 last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
