England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear 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 first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress 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 emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named 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 now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
