England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end 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 placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
