England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes 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. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
