England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 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, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced 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 exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
