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 secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder 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 curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
