Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back 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 the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad 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 opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
