Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year 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. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want 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 improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
