Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. 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 everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
