England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several 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 each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
