Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad 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 improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
