Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “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 will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
