England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here 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 best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “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 assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
