Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures 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 players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under 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. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim 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 quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
