Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses 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 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”