England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. 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 best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end 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 finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
