England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy 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 competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
