England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter 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 lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing 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 very, very valuable lessons.”
