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 achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “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 competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear 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 defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end 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 put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
