Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 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, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing 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 extremely valuable lessons.”
