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 maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
