England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined 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 coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”