Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. 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 however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, 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 great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
