Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. 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’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level 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 this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“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 exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded 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 success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
