Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
