Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better 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 create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder 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 extremely valuable lessons.”
