Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle 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 improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
