England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
