England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital 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 step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. 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 that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly 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 Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand 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 the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
