Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
