Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
