Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level 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 stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
