Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. 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 best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis 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.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
