Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back 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.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all 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 exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, 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. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign 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 skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
