Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory 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 Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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 great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named 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 sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
