Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
