Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England'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.
George's Perspective on Playing 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,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching 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 likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
