England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “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 will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
