Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
