Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “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 competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, 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.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
