Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented 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 Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question 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 curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
