Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “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 playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced 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 finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides 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 keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
