Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, 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, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
