England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain 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 Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
