Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win 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 Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to 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’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 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 exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, 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. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing 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 valuable lessons.”
