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 maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end 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 put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
