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 achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, 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 last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably 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 everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
