Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing 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,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under 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. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded 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 sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
