Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory 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 outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
