Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. 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 strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
