England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
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 tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. 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 final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want 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 evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks 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,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
