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 secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England 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. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago 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 closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
