Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 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 England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all 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 the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among 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 will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current 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, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
