England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented 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 assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
