Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
