England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear 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. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
