England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy 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. 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 peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure 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. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, 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 test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
