England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to 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 have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is 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 stress 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. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford 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 squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
