Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away 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 defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 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 complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”