England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember 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.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
