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 victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand 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 Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated 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 all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “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 will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses 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 learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
