Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear 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 developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
