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Jamie George insists England must not fall into the trap of being dazzled by the All Blacks’ aura when the rivals clash in Saturday’s main event of the autumn.
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Steve Borthwick’s men warmed up for their pursuit of a first victory over New Zealand at Allianz Stadium since 2012 and a 10th consecutive win against all opponents by toppling Fiji 38-18.
Elliot Daly comes into contention for selection after completing his recovery from the fractured forearm sustained on the British and Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck could make their comebacks from respective hand and ankle issues.
Head coach Steve Borthwick names his team on Thursday and George warns that whoever is given the nod must avoid showing too much respect for New Zealand’s reputation.
“A lot of teams sit back in awe of the All Blacks and their incredible history and their incredible players,” the Saracens hooker said.
“It’s easy to do that and I’ve done that in the past. We’ve also got to be very aware that we’re back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud of playing here and we are going to do everything we can to win.
“You’ve got to be at your best because they’re not just another team. They are arguably the best team in the world at the minute. They’ve got world-class players.
“They are as complete a team as there is out there. They’re fantastic and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium.
“We’ve got to come up with a clear gameplan that’s going to put them under as much pressure as possible and then go out and execute it perfectly because that’s what we’ll need to do to win.”
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England are rated marginal favourites by bookmakers to dispatch New Zealand for the first time since their stunning upset in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.
Victory would accelerate a pleasing turnaround from 2024 when final-quarter collapses resulted in seven successive losses to top-tier opposition.
Tom Curry, the all-action flanker who is likely to be restored to the starting back row, uses words from Manchester United great Roy Keane to highlight why the team must kick on in an autumn that has seen Australia and Fiji fall already.
“It was Roy Keane, who said ‘if you’re still, you’re going backwards’. We’re aiming to get better,” Curry said.
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“We’re starting to learn to win. And it’s tiny margins, like Test match rugby is tiny margins.
“I suppose you have to go through those tough times to learn what it’s really like to learn to win.
“After this year’s Six Nations it felt like we had so much more to give and it just felt like we were getting better and better. That was a turning point.
“The lads over the summer carried that on and it feels like we’ve got some genuine momentum. But again, momentum is only good if you carry it on. You can’t sit still.
“We’re happy but we won’t get too far ahead of ourselves. It’s going to be an exciting challenge against New Zealand.”
