England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager 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, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, 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 changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
