England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” 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 peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to 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, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented 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 going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
