Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during 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 Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt 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 this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out 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 pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
