England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “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 this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment 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 adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
