England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
