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 first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“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. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders 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 eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’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. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
