England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything 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 at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
