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 achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how 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 latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
