Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. 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 right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing 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.”
