Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory 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, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad 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 last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
