Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory 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, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy 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 emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want 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 improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
