Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes 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 legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match 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 enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
