Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will 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 at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
