England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly 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, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
