Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, 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 matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “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 will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
