Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will 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 at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
