Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, 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 Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“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 have 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 will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
