England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” 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 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. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
