England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching 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 stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware 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.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
