England's captain Admonishes Team Against Sit Back at New Zealand's Mystique

Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”