Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging 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 solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle 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 rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, 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, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
