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 victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
