England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember 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 strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides 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 the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
