Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” 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 this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear 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 first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, 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 figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
