Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
