Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face 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. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
