Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“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. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
