England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
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 expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
