Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches 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 endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses 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 alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
