England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
