England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors 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 stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under 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. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
