Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set 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 take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
