England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 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 suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 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 fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last 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 player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
