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 maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy 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 coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but 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 one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl'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 three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt 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 success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
