Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats 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 George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” 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 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 peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
