England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“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 Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes 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 developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question 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.”
