England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely 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 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen 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, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing 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 very, very valuable lessons.”
