England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep 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 sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago 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. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said 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 the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, 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. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
