Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
