England's captain Cautions Squad Not to Sit Back at New Zealand's Reputation

Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those 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 next week’s will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”