Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine 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 late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
