Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz 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 defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing 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 challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented 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 next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience 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 changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
