Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember 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.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, 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 Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
