Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
