England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said 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 this venue. 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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 closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
