Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
