Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember 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 win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
