Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. 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 best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put 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 View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
