Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
