England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus 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 good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
