Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “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 will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under 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. By no means 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 Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those 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 next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
