England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember 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.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due 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 build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
