Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have 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 playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
