Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out 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 placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 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 one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
