Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 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 recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way 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 the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want 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 rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game 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 curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
