Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
