England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win 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, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach 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. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, 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 joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
