England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated 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 will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
