Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
