Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing 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 peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means 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 quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said 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 great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
