England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means 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 final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
