Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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 win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 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. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
