England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, 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 losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“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 appear to raise a gear when they visit this 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 clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple 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 again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
