Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games 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 latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from 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 sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
