Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented 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 going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed 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 to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
