England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
