England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle 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 growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed 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 to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
