Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem 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 this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging 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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain 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 squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question 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.”
