England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
