England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting 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. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how 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. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel 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 Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
