Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight 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 players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen 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 England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
