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 victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats 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 home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win 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
“Many sides tend to is stand 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 Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
