Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among 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 going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
