Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, 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 the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus 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 good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”