England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast 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—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus 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 pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
