England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe 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 in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“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 gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “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 assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
