Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have 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 will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
