Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” 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. 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan 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 bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams 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 growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel 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 Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
