England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, 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.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
