Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away 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. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
