Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand 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 stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
