Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected 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 the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
