England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats 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 George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
