Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift 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 squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run 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 the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus 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 quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” 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 the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
