England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how 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 latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question 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 interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
