England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
