Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
