England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
