Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
