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 Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks 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. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand 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 the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving 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
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
