England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis 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 sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured 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 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably 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 recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, 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 success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
