Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing 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 best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked 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 success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
