England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
