Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
