Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” 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 this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests 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 strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
