England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
