Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, 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.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will 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 right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among 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 will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
