England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included 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. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, 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.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
