England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team 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 recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe 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 in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” 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 next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due 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 got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
