England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem 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 first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several 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 took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous 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,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
