Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware 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.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
