Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run 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 England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “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 will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
