Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“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 strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel 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,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
