England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks 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’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side 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 placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “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 test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
