Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand 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 New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” 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 the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team'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 got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
