England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy 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. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all 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 last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star'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 New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
