England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced 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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
