Jamie George Admonishes Team Against Stand in Awe at All Blacks' Aura

England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” 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 this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all 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 last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “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 assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”