Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy 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 peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” 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 valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter 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.”
