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 secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“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. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
