Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
