Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow 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 failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks 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 New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight 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 world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” 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 the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said 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 sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
