Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available 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 squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team 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 tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have 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 chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year 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 solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
