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 achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital 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 step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
