Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all 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 level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
