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 maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. 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 best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present 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, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
