England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“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 exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “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 extremely valuable lessons.”
