Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour 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 at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
