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 achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said 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 Allianz Stadium. 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. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests 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 finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
