England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined 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 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing 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 very, very valuable lessons.”
