England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe 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 in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick 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 starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
