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 triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
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 duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” 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 will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
