Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness 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 group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year 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 put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
