Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark 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 side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
