England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host 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 final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, 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 question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
