Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated 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 back here 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.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
