Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing 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 talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats 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 losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
