Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing 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 put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. 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 however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game 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 experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
