England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run 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 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
