England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured 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 New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out 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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
