Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory 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 All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” 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 this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
