England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear 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. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps 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.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, 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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
