Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” 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. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, 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,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
