Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases 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 Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “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 will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
