England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
