Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
