Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably 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 all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games 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 losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
