England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much 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 got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
