Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
