Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
