Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
