Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed 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 to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
