Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured 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 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way 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. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, 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 Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing 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 extremely valuable lessons.”
