England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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 quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
