Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, 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 clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly 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
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
