🔗 Share this article

England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“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 team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but 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 one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”