Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, 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. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
