England's captain Cautions Squad Not to Sit Back at New Zealand's Aura

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 Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“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 exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”