Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to 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 right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, 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 success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
