Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—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 maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better 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 chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
