Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
