Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak 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 six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
