Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” 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 back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
