Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side 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 remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
