Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
