England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan 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 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
