England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues 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 best teams,” said 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 will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team'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 experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
