Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, 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 last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
