England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to 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 pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
