Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. 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. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
