Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember 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 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’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. 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 quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks 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,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
