England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection 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.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing 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 best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
