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 first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team 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 home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
