Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
