England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
