England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated 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 playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. 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 last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
