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 secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember 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 come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. 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 chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
