Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent 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 world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side 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 placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly 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
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
