Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. 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 arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up 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. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, 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 Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
