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 Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
