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 home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, 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 finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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 great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’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 been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
