England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves 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 improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
