Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching 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 suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way 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 finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
