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 maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side 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 put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those 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 the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
