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 visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing 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 former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
