England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all 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 last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing 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 extremely valuable lessons.”
