Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
