England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced 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 complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages 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 build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
