Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
