Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy 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 are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams 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 quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game 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 very, very valuable lessons.”
