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 triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. 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 arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear 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, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
