Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing 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 the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
