England captain Jamie George says he will take the lessons he learned on the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to the national tour this summer.
George will lead England in two matches against the All Blacks in July. This will be his first overseas tour as his country’s captain after taking over in 2024.
“I’ve been there and I know how difficult it is to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand. I learned a huge amount in 2017,” George told BBC Sport. Greatest game ever played.
“But we got our toes wet, so rather than waiting to see how good they are in the second and third tests, we started playing them.
“We don’t have to sit back and wonder how the All Blacks are going to be – that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to go out there and make sure we play the England way.
England opened their summer campaign against Japan on 22nd June. The team won 52-17 but they need to improve their performance if they are to win the tour of New Zealand.
England have only visited New Zealand twice, in 1973 and 2003, and have never won a two- or three-match series in the country.
George insists that England can be defeated, but not to overestimate their opposition.
“I think the light and the respect we have for them is the highest it’s ever been,” George added. “But at the same time we can’t sit back and give too much respect, we’ve got to go out there and assert ourselves the way we want to.”
“If we’re in awe of what the All Blacks are, we’re not going to be in the right frame of mind to go out and beat them. That’s our aim. To go out there and beat New Zealand in New Zealand.
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