England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured 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 the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. 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 faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” 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 will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
