Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim 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 growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
