Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks 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 the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” 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 test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
