England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “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.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”