Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand 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 New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “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 will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
