Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“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. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
