Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
