Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience 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 wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
