🔗 Share this article

Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad 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 the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”