Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described 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 remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
