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 secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
