Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“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 developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, 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 changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
