England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected 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. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
