Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
