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 maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man 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 very, very valuable lessons.”
