England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand 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’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
