Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
