England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
