Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “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 going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
