Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply 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 close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, 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 journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
