Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
