Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably 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 visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named 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 now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
