Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all 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 are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
