Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing 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 next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
