Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under 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. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
