Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
