Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
