England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both 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 among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
