England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win 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 Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
