England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “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 competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
