England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team 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 have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
