Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, 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.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, 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 path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
