England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side 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 have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
