Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
