England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to 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 clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
