Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated 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 back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team 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 first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses 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 losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
