Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run 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 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
