England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad 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 first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
