Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope 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 timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“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. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want 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 developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses 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 build on those setbacks, and they hurt 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, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
