Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, 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.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel 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 named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
