Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand 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 have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
