Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud 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 arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
