Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing 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. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“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 quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked 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 journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
