Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 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. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” 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. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages 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 Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
