England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything 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 at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got 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 Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
