Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“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 exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress 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 tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides 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 the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much 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 developed the experience to learn from those losses, 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 changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
