Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats 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 home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing 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 best side in the world at the minute. 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 identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging 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 solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included 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,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
