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 Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game 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 sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
