England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
