Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. 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 unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue 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 journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
