England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 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 closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”