Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “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.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
