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 first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, 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. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
