Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending 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 marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
