Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
