England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure 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 tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes 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 developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
