Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both 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 elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded 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 success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
