England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run 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 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic 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 could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging 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 solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
