Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. 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 emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but 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,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung 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 sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
