England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George'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 world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim 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 growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches 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 experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
