England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving 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
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
