England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests 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. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen 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, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing 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 very, very valuable lessons.”
