England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way 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 closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, 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 journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
