Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify 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. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
