England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy 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 will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match 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 enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
