Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing 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 players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said 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 path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
