Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
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 players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
