Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. 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 work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
