Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said 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 are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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 assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
