Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
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 British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing 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 arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
