England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
