Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats 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 the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 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 Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, 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 success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
