Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected 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 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
