England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
