England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago 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 put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
