England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
