Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “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 going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
