Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have 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 came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “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 extremely valuable lessons.”
