Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out 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 give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim 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 growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, 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 dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
