England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks 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 All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves 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 growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game 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 curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
