England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
