Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
