England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how 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 latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves 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 quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “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 interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
