Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad 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 valuable lessons.”
