Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital 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 gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question 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 valuable lessons.”
