England's captain Warns Squad Against Stand in Awe at All Blacks' Reputation

Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience 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 wonder among the squad 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.”