Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
