Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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 are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man 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.”
