Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group 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 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably 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 have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing 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 Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question 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 interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
