Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
