Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz 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 put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests 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 big emphasis 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 Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
