Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will 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 are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question 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.”
