England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half 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 while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
