Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand 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 England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
