Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad 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 opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad 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 evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
