England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. 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 close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return 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 challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented 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 the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
