England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to 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 in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set 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 getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
