Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
