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 Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
