Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 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.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”