Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing 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 peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, 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 valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
