England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything 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 exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, 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 complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
