Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated 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 competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected 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,” said Borthwick. “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 will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
