Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
