England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 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 recent clashes at England's home ground.
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 talent,” 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. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging 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 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 good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager 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 pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
