England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
