Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, 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 last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour 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. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded 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 joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
