England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember 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.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
