England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy 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. 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 right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do 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 stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 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 solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
