England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, 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 final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
