England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything 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 right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from 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 path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
