Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, 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 failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here 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 arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, 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 finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt 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 joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
