England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured 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 only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
