England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side 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 last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way 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 latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, 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 path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
