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 achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how 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 multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, 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 have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
