Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
