Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how 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 final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
