Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe 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’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
