Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing 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 valuable lessons.”
