Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, 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 finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “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 valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
