England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said 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 the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter 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.”
