England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before 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 sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, 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 Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
