England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class 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 this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all 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 level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy 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 winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, 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 dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
