Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win 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 outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, 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.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour 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 without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
