Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced 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. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
