England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
