Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
