Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid 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 weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
