Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all 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’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach 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 first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
