Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
