Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “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.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much 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 the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
