Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably 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 remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George'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,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing 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 top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
