England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow 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.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will 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 unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel 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,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
