England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything 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 are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
