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 secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible 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 are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
