Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
