Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’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. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
