Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during 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 Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
