Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, 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 recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
