England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely 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 both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last 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 hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
