Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this 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, have a defined gameplan 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 lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
