England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man 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.”
