England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
