England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, 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 faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
