Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise 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 opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
