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 over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side 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 placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
