Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, 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 the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out 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 placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
